A War On Two Fronts
by Hannah-Nobody
Summary: All he has to do is kill her. If the Demon Prince can kill Princess Lucy Heartfilia, the war will be over and victory will be theirs. But he can't do it. And she can't quite bring herself to kill him either. (Rated M for violence and eventual sexual content)
1. The Choice

_Screams filled his ears._

 _The once great capital of the Celestial Plains was falling, and all its citizens could do was watch. Watch as more of them fell prey to the flames._

 _"Find her," His brother ordered, "I'll take care of the queen."_

 _The Demon Prince nodded to his brother before he turned and made his way through the fire. The heat licked at his crimson scales, but no fire could burn him. With a flick of his pointed tail it rose into an even greater inferno, and he laughed as cracks appeared in the marble walls of the palace. Destruction came so easy to him._

 _He and his brother had come to the Celestial Plains with this very image in their minds: the white city in ruins. Queen Layla and her subjects were by far the biggest threat to their cause. If she had allied with the faeries, they would have lost the war._

 _They didn't give her a chance._

 _Spying the tower where he was sure his target was located, the Demon Prince spread his great red wings and launched himself into the air. He paused a moment once airborne, taking in the scale of the destruction that lay below him. Zeref's minions ran rampant through the streets; killing and burning and torturing and gods knew what else. Even now, he waited for the feeling of disgust to hit him. These soldiers were following the orders of his brother, after all. But the feeling never came. He'd grown numb to this life a long time ago._

 _He turned away from the awful scene with a scowl on his face, and flew towards the top of the tower. A window allowed him access to the circular room located at the top, but it was a small window. He hunched forward as he landed, gripping the window ledge with his clawed hands in order to steady himself. He folded his wings and dropped forward into the room._

 _He cast his red eyes about, and there she was. Cowering on the floor._

 _Her delicate features held the same expression as most people who laid eyes on him. The more religious of his victims had labelled him 'the devil incarnate', and he knew where they were coming from with their line of reasoning. The scales that coated much of his body, his red wings, his horns, his clawed hands that were so often coated in blood. You could die at the sight of END, some said._

 _The girl he'd come to kill, the Princess of the Celestial Plains, looked as though she could be one of those who died at the sight. Her brown eyes were wide with terror, and her whole body shook violently as though the city below them was freezing, not burning._

 _He looked back over his shoulder as the city crossed his mind, his gaze flitting back to the window. The light from below bled into the night sky, coating the horizon in a deep red that faded into black. The cities people would die under the stars they loved so much. Worshippers of light who lived under the darkness._

 _He turned back to the girl. Ah, she so clearly belonged to this city, he thought. The Princess seemed an embodiment of light. Dressed in a long white gown, her pale skin was adorned with gold bracelets on her wrists and upper arms. Golden hair fell loose around her shoulders, some falling in front of her face as though that would be enough to hide her from his sight._

 _He stepped forward, and her bare feet scrambled to push her further away from him, but her back had already hit the wall. The closer he got, the smaller she tried to make herself. She brought her knees up to her chest, her small fists coming up in front of her face, as though believing that if she couldn't see him, he couldn't see her._

 _"You don't have to be afraid." He told her, and he meant it. Dying was easy, he'd done it before._

 _Her trembling worsened, which he had not thought possible, and the room filled with the sounds of her sobs. He sighed to himself. He wasn't going to enjoy this. At all. And because his brother wasn't here, he wouldn't have to pretend to._

 _"Afraid?" He heard the girl whisper. He wouldn't have heard without his keen ears, but her voice seemed loud in his mind, jarring him out of his thoughts._

 _"I-I-" She tried to continue, lowing her hands from her face, "I don't have to be afraid?" The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as a breath left her, as though his words seemed funny, "You have burned my city, killed my people,_ innocent _people, and you tell me not to be afraid?" She laughed weakly._

 _She was looking right at him._ Right _at him. No mortal ever did that. Not one. They couldn't stand the sight of him. They were too afraid to, they believed looking at him cursed them to damnation, it didn't matter the reason. No one ever looked right into his eyes as she was doing now, only his brother._

 _It unnerved him._

 _"Well, I am afraid!" She screamed at him, "I'm afraid that the world will fall into the hands of monsters like you and I won't be around to stop it."_

 _Her shoulders slumped, the last of her fight leaving her body. All the mortals he'd ever encountered were all hopeless. Hopeless because of him. He was the end. You didn't survive an encounter with Zeref's own brother, no one ever had._

 _His eyes glanced to the door. Time was running short, his brother would be here soon to make sure the deed was done. He had to kill her now._

 _He kneeled down in front of her. She'd recovered her earlier position, but her sobs were quieter now. She seemed so fragile, like glass. Roar at the right pitch and she'd break, almost._

 _He reached out his hand to grasp her wrist. His red scales seemed even more barbaric when pressed against her white skin, and the sight made him scowl. Something so drenched in blood as himself touching something as pure as her seemed a crime against the world. He didn't really believe in hell- surely there was nowhere worse than this world? -but he thought that killing her would surely send him there._

 _It was impossible for him to touch anyone without drawing blood due to his claws, and a slight whimper escaped her lips as his hand firmly grasped her wrist. He pulled her away from the wall and she made no protest. It was as though her loss had killed her already, and she was just waiting for him to finish the job._

 _He lay her on his lap. He tried to be gentle, but everywhere he touched marked her. Beads of blood ran down her arms, and the sight made his stomach churn with hatred._

 _He hadn't hated himself this much in a long time._

 _He leaned over her still shaking body, wisps of her hair moving as his hot breath fanned her face. She'd squeezed her eyes shut long ago, and it only made his guilt increase that to her it probably seemed as though he was dragging out killing her, relishing in it._

 _He didn't want to do it, but he couldn't deny what he was feeling. His mouth was watering, his body craved it._

 _He looked to the door again, picking up the sounds of feet ascending the marble steps. It was now or never._

 _He made a split second decision._

 _"Play dead." He whispered in the Princesses ear._

 _He noticed her eyes flash open just before he sunk his pointed teeth into her neck. She gasped at the pain, hands pushing against his bare chest even as she grew weaker and weaker._

 _This was one of the worst ways he killed. He knew it was horrible to watch from the reactions of prisoners who were forced to watch as Zeref fed their comrades to him. He'd drink all of it, all of their blood, as they were forced to watch the life drain out of his victim._

 _But worse than the sight of his victim dying was the sight of_ him. _It was hard to believe that he was capable of mercy when he had blood running down his chin and a lustful look in his eyes that only accentuated the more demonic parts of him. It was hard to believe he'd ever been human._

 _He hummed against her skin at the pleasurable taste just as his brother entered the room, a few of his minions in the doorway behind him. He knew they were there without looking up. His eyes remaining closed so he could focus on the taste filling his mouth._

 _"How does she taste?" Zeref asked, and he could_ hear _the smug smirk in his brother's voice._

 _"Sweet. Like honey." The Demon Prince replied as he looked up to face his brother._

 _He noticed Zeref's minions recoil in the doorway, and shot them all a bloody-toothed grin that made his brother chuckle._

 _"I imagine her mother would have tasted even better, but alas, I don't share your demonic tendencies brother," Zeref replied so casually, as though they were discussing the weather and not sucking the very life out of someone, "She was a pitiful woman though. Wasted her dying breaths telling me I'm a monster. What a waste of last words."_

 _So the Queen was dead then. Zeref had achieved what he came here to do. The Celestial Plains and all the power it had held was now unsalvageable._

 _"Are you done, Natsu?" The dark haired brother asked, "Or should I just leave you here?"_

 _Natsu smirked at his brother's words before removing the body of the Princess from his lap, dumping her unceremoniously on the ground. He made no attempt to wipe her blood from his mouth as he stood._

 _"You wouldn't leave me brother, you couldn't live without me," He replied, placing his hand on Zeref's shoulder and guiding him from the room, "Isn't that what this whole war is about?"_

 _Zeref laughed at his words, not noticing as the pink haired demon turned to catch one last glimpse of the Princess just as the door closed behind them._

 _He saw her fingers twitch._

 _He hadn't drank his fill, after all._

* * *

 **A/N: A new AU! Just to let you guys know, I have a lot of this written out already so although chapters are likely to be short, there will be regular updates. This is probably gonna be my most angst ridden fics yet, so I hope you stay tuned! I would love to hear what you think, so please leave a review!**


	2. Consequences

He remembered it like it was yesterday, the taste of her still on his tongue.

Sometimes he wishes he _had_ drank his fill, instead of letting her live.

Like now.

"I don't _believe it,_ " Zeref roared, "How, _how,_ is she still alive?"

Natsu watched as his brother paced in front of the large orb that showed the image of the Princess of the Celestial Plains. Almost a year after her 'death', and there she was. Clad in gold armour and flourishing in the heat of battle.

"I _watched_ you. I saw you _drain her dry!"_ His brother wailed on, raking his fingers through his dark hair, "We decimated her city, turned her people to ash. _How is she still alive?"_

Natsu did not respond. Zeref's followers had rushed to them with the news of her appearance in the battle that was currently taking place at one of their further most territories. To say his brother was angry was putting it lightly. No, Zeref wasn't angry. He was _furious_. And it was only a certain amount of time before his fury was sure to be directed at Natsu.

This was his fault after all.

Her reappearance didn't come as a surprise to him, however. He'd heard rumours among the faeries. Whispers. But he'd failed to report any of them to his brother, latching on instead to the vain hope that his mercy had allowed for the Princess to make it out of her burning city alive.

Since that day, he'd often catechised himself for his foolishness. Sparing her meant nothing. In showing her mercy he'd only left her to die by the flames, he'd realised soon after. And if the flames hadn't gotten to her, she would have been crushed as the building crumbled. If not the building, then Zeref's soldiers would have killed her when she tried to flee the city. If not the soldiers, then blood loss from her wound that had no one left to attend to it. His mercy was no mercy at all, and the act failed to offer him the small sense of redemption he'd hoped it would.

And then he'd heard the rumours.

It didn't take long for word of the Celestial Plains fall to spread, and while the country mourned the death of Queen Layla, the citizens of Fiore had refused to believe the Princess was dead. They refused to believe such a light had been extinguished. It was then that scouts returned from the city.

Scouts that had failed to find the Princesses body.

Every city under the rule of King Makarov had been stirred at the news. They waited and waited for the Princess to walk through their streets with a troupe of survivors and join the alliance of Fairy Tail, seeking revenge for her homeland.

But she never came.

Instead, strange rumours circulated the land of constellations falling from the night sky, and angels walking the horizon carrying bundles of light. None of it could be proven though, and talk of the Princess had died down to mere murmurs.

And now, she'd returned.

Alive, unhurt, and full of life from what Natsu could see from the image that danced across the orb. He stepped closer to it, watching her fight. She was graceful, agile, fierce. She barely resembled the girl he'd left bleeding in the burning tower.

"Lord Zeref, what does it truly matter?" One of the messengers spoke up boldly, "She can barely call herself a Princess now her city lies ruins."

Natsu turned his head as Zeref came to a standstill. His brother glared at the man who had spoken, his magic beginning to swirl around him as his anger rose. The messenger cowered in fear.

"It doesn't matter what she calls herself!" Zeref screamed, "She is still Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of Layla and descendent of the Celestial Plains. It matters not that her city is in ruins, what she is gives her power. And her power could cost us this war!"

Zeref's black robes fluttered around him as his power increased. The other messengers fled the room, and the man who had spoken fell to his knees. True, he had been foolish to voice his ignorance, but Natsu couldn't just let his brother kill him just because he was annoyed.

Natsu walked over to the man and punched him hard in the face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. At least, Natsu hoped he was. He wasn't good when it came to mortals limits.

His act had drew his brother's attention. Natsu prepared for his brothers dark magic to be redirected to him, but instead Zeref let go of the magic and sighed.

"This battle is important," He spoke as he turned to face the orb that still showed the Princess fighting. Natsu came to his brother's side just as she cut down another of their soldiers. "We cannot lose. If we lose territory, the faeries will think us weak. They will think that the war is changing tides."

Zeref gestured towards the orb, the image fading as he turned to face him. His gaze was firm when he looked at Natsu, with no trace of the brotherly affection that donned his features in his lighter moods.

"We cannot let them have that hope." He finished, and Natsu nodded, understanding what his brother wanted even before he asked it.

"You want me to go, to kill her. Properly this time." He said.

"I don't blame you for this, Natsu." His brother replied, "I should have let you drain her in peace. But fail twice, and you may wish I'd let you stay dead."

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have part two! Sorry it's a little on the sort side, I hope it doesn't make anyone lose interest because I really love that people are liking this so far! Be sure to leave a review!**


	3. On The Battlefield

Hundreds of feet below him, the battle raged on.

Moments like this Natsu understood why Acnologia chose to survey the damage from such heights. Beneath him, the soldiers seemed like nothing but ants. It was difficult to distinguish who fought for whom, but at this altitude it didn't matter. It all seemed so trivial from up here, a fruitless battle. Acnologia thought himself so far above mortals it was no wonder he enjoyed the god-like feeling witnessing the war from this viewpoint gave him.

But Natsu was not a god. He was a demon.

And so, like the devil, he plummeted to the earth.

The closer he got to the ground, the easier it was to make out who fought for his brother and who fought against him. The soldiers looked like chess pieces, his own army black where the enemies were white. It was rather accurate considering Zeref often thought of the war as nothing more than a game.

He opened his wings at the last moment, flying over the battle like a vulture waiting for the scraps. He let fire pour from his mouth as he went, helping his soldiers when he could. But helping them fight was not what he had come here to do.

He found her easily, a speck of gold in a monochrome sea. He flew a few feet higher, hovering in the air as he watched her fight, trying to deduce the best way to attack her. He knew his brother would be watching back at the base. He'd have no opportunity to spare her this time.

It was such a strange thing, to watch her fight. She fought beside a dark haired boy who seemed to be around her age; he wore no armour but was bare-chested, and battled using ice that sprang from the palms of his hands.

Stranger still was the Princesses own fighting methods. As he'd seen in the orb she wore gold armour, but now he realised that it wasn't a full suit of armour, only a golden breastplate. The metal fit her curvaceous figure perfectly, even extending up to cover the base of her neck. She also wore golden bracers, but the tops of her arms were left exposed, allowing her to move easily. She wore no armour on her legs, instead opting for simple black leather pants and boots that made her more agile. But her weapons? She wore none. Instead they just… _appeared_.

He watched in awe as she turned towards a new enemy. As a black-clad soldier rushed towards her, she raised her arms as though to fire a bow. When her arms reached the firing position, she held a gleaming bow in her left hand, and as she drew back her right, an arrow appeared too. She shot the man who ran at her, and as she turned once more to help the half-naked boy, the bow changed to a sword and she lashed out at a new enemy.

His eyes focussed on the man she had shot, and he watched as the arrow protruding from his chest faded away. The arrow made of pure light.

This was not good.

His stomach filled with an apprehension for battle that he hadn't felt in years. His gaze found her again. She seemed to have taken a moment, and he watched as she rubbed the armour on the side of her neck. The side of her neck where he'd…

Their eyes met.

He watched as her brown eyes filled with rage and she moved away from the boy she'd fought beside. He felt something that seemed oddly familiar to pride in his chest at the acknowledgement that this battle was between them, and them alone. He was not about to underestimate her after seeing how she wielded her strange disappearing weapons.

She wasted no time, a weapon materialising in her right hand. The weapon grew and grew, confusing Natsu enough for a moment that he missed a chance to attack. With a wave of her arm, the weapon- a whip, he now realised- came frying towards him. He beat his wings, attempting to fly out of its reach, but the glowing whip caught him around the ankle.

He screamed as the light made contact with his skin. Is this what burning felt like? He tried to pull away but the Princesses grip on her whip was strong. Her bracers glowed as she gave the whip a harsh tug that brought him crashing to the ground.

He landed on his side in the dirt, growling in pain as he propped himself up. The whip was still twirled around his ankle, burning him even through his scales. He ignored the pain it caused him and used his tail to pull on the whip.

The Princess fell, and as soon as her hands left the weapon it disappeared. He didn't waste a second before pouncing on her, but she rolled out of the way just in the nick of time. They crouched before each other, exchanging death glares before attacking again.

This close to her, he could see the details of her golden armour. Delicate patterns were etched into the metal, and embedded into the armour were…keys? They were placed in two rows, five on each side, although there was space for two more, and each of them with a different symbol on its handle. One of the keys, the one closest to her heart, was broken. All that was left was the handle.

Natsu brought his attention back to the fight at hand and raised a flame coated fist, sending it straight at her. The Princess made no move to dodge, instead opting to raise her forearms in front of her face to block.

His fist hit her bracers instead, the force of the blow pushed her back slightly, but Natsu was sent careening backwards as light exploded from her armour. His flames barely singeing the metal.

His back hit the floor and in an instant she was on top of him, her legs straddling his hips as she raised her left arm and a dagger appeared in her hands. His clawed hands grasped at her wrists but the moment he touched her bracers he let out a roar of pain. He couldn't touch them.

He had no way to resist as she brought her dagger down.

She didn't stab him in the chest like he thought she would. It would be easy to stab him there, where his red scales gave way to tan skin. But instead she opted to cut his throat, slowly. She brought the weapon to the right side of his neck. He turned away from the heat, the searing light, even as it bit into his skin. He fought the urge to squeeze his eyes shut and watched the face of the Princess as she cut deeper.

She wasn't watching what she was doing. Her brown eyes flickered from his hands that lay still either side of his head, to his own eyes watching her. The momentum of the dagger stopped, though it still burned. It was only slightly embedded in his neck.

She was hesitating.

He realised that he could take this moment to reach up and slit her throat, and he saw her features change as she realised this too. The dagger sunk in a fraction more in her panic, then stopped again.

They stared at each other as she held his life in her hands. She was hesitating. He'd burned her city to the ground and she was _hesitating_. Anger stoked the fire in his stomach, the fire he could easily pour forth and kill her with. He didn't deserve her mercy. How many people had died because of him?

"Do it." He growled, not caring anymore if his brother was watching. He was so tired of this life.

The battle still raged on around them, but it was as though they were in their own world. None of the soldiers surrounding them helped either of them. They were surrounded but alone. His mind tuned out the clash of weapons and focused only on her shaky breaths and rapidly beating heart.

He raised a hand slowly. She still didn't move. Part of his mind urged him to touch her face, but he ignored it. His hands weren't made for those kinds of touches, and such a caress was likely to make her sick. Instead, he wrapped his hand lightly around her neck, letting the claw on his thumb dig in just enough to draw a single bead of blood.

The Princess let out a small gasp, but she still didn't move. Her dagger still didn't end his misery.

"Do it." He urged her again.

Tremors took hold of her, and her fingers flexed on the dagger. He didn't move his hand from her neck, fearing she wouldn't kill him without it there reminding her how easily he could end her life at any given moment. She blinked hard, and when her eyes opened he swore there were tears in them. He didn't understand.

He didn't have time to process the information as the sound of wing beats filled his ears. He craned his head back, ignoring the dagger still biting into his skin, to see Acnologia flying low over the battlefield.

Zeref's dragon subordinate let out a mighty roar as he headed straight for them. Natsu looked up to see a look of pure terror on the Princesses features much worse than when he'd first encountered her in that tower long ago. She was frozen in shock, and the dragon was heading straight for her.

Natsu wrenched her hand from his neck, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming as her armour burned him. He flipped them so that she was the one with her back to the ground and he was leaning over her. Her fighting instincts must have kicked in because she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to get back on top. Her efforts were futile, and he managed to disentangle her from him just in time as Acnologia soared over them and picked Natsu up in his huge black claws.

Wrenched away from the Princess, he kept his gaze on her as he ascended. She stood and a bow materialised in her hands, but she soon dropped her arms, realising the futility of her efforts. Natsu pressed a hand to his bleeding neck as her form got smaller and smaller, Acnologia hauling him back to his brother.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry tumblr got the update first but I got into uni today so I went out celebrating and long story short it wasn't much of a celebration. Hoped you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think!**


	4. Tainted

"Come brother, I knew she wouldn't do it."

Natsu sat across from his brother, the table between them. Food spread across the expanse of the table, untouched by either brother as they quarrelled.

"You begged her for death Natsu. What am I meant to think of that?" The older brother replied.

Zeref wasn't just angry, he was _hurt,_ and Natsu hated to see his brother that way. He bowed his head, unable to meet Zeref's gaze. Natsu had tried to play it off as nothing more than a bluff, feigning curiosity as to how far the Princess would go. But his lies didn't matter, Zeref was hurt either way.

"I gave you life again, Natsu. I started a _war_ for you." Zeref continued, his dark eyes and pleading tone painting the perfect picture of his hurt as his hands gripped the table, "Is this the thanks I get? Is your refusal to carry out simple orders and your need to throw yourself at the mercy of some mortal girl all the thanks I get?"

Zeref leaned further forward in his seat as he spoke and despite the table between them Natsu shrunk away. The guilt he felt in the pit of his stomach rejected what little food he'd managed to eat, making him feel sick with nerves. It didn't matter to Zeref that Natsu had easily healed. The scar on his neck now served as a brutal reminder of his disobedience.

When Natsu didn't reply, Zeref sat back in his chair abruptly and let out a barely audible huff. With a flourish of his hand, the orb he'd had brought into their dining chambers lit up, filling the dull room with light.

Natsu watched as the image became clearer, and in the crystal he saw the Princess as she was now, celebrating the victory with her newly found allies of Fairy Tail. She looked stunning, like a star that had fallen from the sky but lost none of its grace. Her golden armour was gone, replaced by a long lilac dress that trailed behind her when she walked. The image zoomed in on her face and Natsu got to see what her smile looked like. It was a small smile, barely there, but he was sure his heart skipped a beat and he wasn't sure why.

Then his heart started racing.

Because there, just at the crook of her neck, was a scar painted pink against her white skin for all to see. A scar he had given her. A set of teeth marks on her exposed shoulder. He noticed other people shown on the orbs surface look at it when she spoke. It was the scar that drew their gazes and not her pretty eyes.

She didn't seem self-conscious of it, however. She made no attempt to cover up what could easily be hidden by her long blonde hair. Seeing the mark on her skin stirred something in him, his fire seeming to spread through his veins.

He watched the image of her as the fire inside him grew. She clearly wasn't paying attention to whatever words were being spoken to her that they couldn't hear. Her eyes were distant, and a small furrow appeared on her brow. She rubbed her neck, right where the scar was, as though it were a recent wound that still bothered her. She seemed to retreat inside herself until something drew her attention.

"She's done something to you." Zeref announced, startling Natsu out of his thoughts.

Natsu frowned at his brother in confusion. Zeref merely gestured to Natsu in silence. Confused, the pink haired brother looked down at himself and received quite a surprise. Unbeknownst to himself, he'd picked up the fork that lay by his plate as he watched the orb. Now liquid metal seeped through his fingers, running down his arm and sizzling at the contact with his hot skin.

"She must have," Zeref speculated aloud, "You never offered this kind of insubordination before you came into contact with her. She must have tainted you with her light."

Natsu's frown only deepened as his brother rose from his chair muttering to himself. He came to Natsu's side and took his younger brothers face in his hands.

"Yes that's it. Nothing that can't be fixed," Zeref said, half to himself, "You're still my brother aren't you Natsu?"

Natsu nodded, and his brother smiled at him.

"Now," Zeref sighed, "About your punishment…"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry this one is so short, but the next two parts are pretty long! You could say it's the calm before the storm... Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter despite it's length! Thanks to everyone who left a review so far. Please keep them coming as I love to know your thoughts!**


	5. Close Encounters

After receiving his lashes and spending over a week in confinement, Natsu had thought his punishment would be over.

But no.

Zeref had decided to send him on an errand, far away from any battlefield where the pesky Princess might be located. An errand, not only far away from the heat of battle, but located on the frosty northern continent. A convenient place to send someone who hated the cold.

Natsu hated the cold.

The temperatures weren't so drastic that the fire demon needed to wear anything other than his usual haram pants, but it was still pretty damn cold. So cold it made him angry.

His wound from the Princess had scarred, leaving a gash on his neck that stood out against both his scales and his skin. His brothers eyes often drifted to it whenever he looked at him, but Natsu could never decipher the look in Zeref's eyes. His mind drifted to the scar every now and then as it occasionally tingled slightly, making him restless. It was doing so now as he made his way through the cold night.

It was snowing as he flew, the northern winds picking up their speeds making it steadily more difficult to fly. He needed to make it to Mard Geers holdout before morning, but at this rate he'd have no choice but to call it a night soon. Shockingly, Mard had reported to his master this morning that he and his people had managed to capture the mighty Titania. Zeref didn't believe it, so he'd sent Natsu to make sure no one was lying to them.

If they were telling the truth, then it was Natsu's job to get information out of her.

A vast forest coated the land beneath him, and his sharp ears picked up the sounds of wolves howling at the moon that peaked through the dark clouds every now and then. He looked down through the trees, trying to spot the pack, but instead his eyes caught a small flicker of light.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he turned in the air and descended. He landed in a tree not far from the light, making sure to keep quiet as he crept through the branches. The closer he got, the brighter the light grew, and it didn't take him long to realise that it was the light of a small fire. Voices filled his ears as it came into view.

"…absolutely absurd. You'll freeze to death!" A feminine voice chided.

"Please," A deep voice drawled, "I grew up in these lands, and now I rule these lands. There's a hundred different ways I could die out here, but freezing to death isn't one of them."

"If you say so, _Lord_ Fullbuster." The same girl replied just as Natsu found a perch that didn't obscure the people.

There were three people around the fire, two girls and a boy from the looks of it. The girl who had spoken paced in front of the fire, her white fur cloak hiding her features from him. When she turned, Natsu could have laughed out loud at her identity.

It was the Princess.

Zeref had sent him _miles_ away, to a place his brother knew he hated, in an attempt to keep him away from the Princess and here she was. In the middle of nowhere. Making camp right under the sky he flew in.

Natsu chuckled to himself but he wasn't naive. If she was here, it was likely she intended to rescue the Titania. There was no other explanation.

As for her companions, Natsu noted, they consisted of a slim girl wrapped in dark furs, her blue hair spilling out from under a woollen hat. She sat there quietly, her eyes following the exchange between her companions. The third member of their party was the same boy the Princess had fought with on the battlefield. The ice wielder was still shirtless, despite the cold weather. He stretched his arms above his head as the Princess sat down in front of the fire.

Her earlier words came back to Natsu. _No way._ This was the mighty Lord Fullbuster? A stripper?! Natsu had heard of the leader of the northern colonies before, but all the descriptions he'd heard did not conjure this image. A shirtless boy who pranced around in the cold was a mighty lord?

Well, Natsu was a Demon Prince and he spent most of _his_ time shirtless. Although, more often than not it was because he burned his shirt off, not because he had a strange stripping habit. And besides, he didn't rule over anyone, that was his brother's job. Why did the people of the northern colonies follow this moron?

"C'mon Lucy," The strange Lord whined, "Drop the formalities already, you're a part of Fairy Tail now. You don't hear me calling you 'Princess' all the time."

Lucy scrunched up her nose, pulling her white fur cape tighter around her.

"It sounds like a creepy pet name when _you_ say it." She replied.

"I thought girls loved it when you called them princess." He winked back at her.

Natsu gritted his teeth. He did _not_ like this guy.

Lucy pulled back her hood with a scowl on her face. She looked into the fire as her hand made its way under the thick material of her cape, rubbing at the scar on her neck.

"Not so much if they actually are one, Gray." She murmured.

"Actually," The blue haired girl spoke up, blushing slightly, "Juvia likes it when Lord Gray calls her 'Princess'"

Gray grinned and opened his arms in a gesture of success, earning an eye role from Lucy. The girl who had spoken, Juvia, giggled at the young Lords expression. The sound drew his attention, and he moved to sit beside her in front of the fire. Gray took the girls face in his hand and looked at her fondly for a moment. Natsu noticed that Lucy was watching them, seemingly fascinated, but she turned away the moment Gray leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Juvia's forehead.

The Princess promptly stood and left the small clearing. The sound of her exit causing her two companions to withdraw from their embrace and stare worriedly after her.

"Juvia thinks that the Princess is lonely." The blue haired girl admitted.

"Hhmm," Gray hummed in response, a pensive yet concerned expression on his face, "She's lonely but she's strong too. I don't know what I'd do if I lost everything like she has; I don't think I'd ever be the same."

The young Lord looked at his companion with such emotion that Natsu was forced to look away. He moved through the branches once more as the two leaned into each other, choosing to follow the Princess over intruding on the disturbingly private moment.

He followed the trail of her footprints in the snow, keeping high in the branches of the trees to avoid detection. When he found her, she stood in the moonlight gazing up at a patch of unobscured sky where the stars were painted against the heavens.

He felt a strange pain in his chest as he watched her, like the feeling that courses through your whole body just before you fall. His claws dug into the tree to steady his balance, but he'd never been in danger of falling to the ground.

The snow fell lightly around her, settling in her golden hair that glowed a little in the light. Her breaths were visible in the night air, making him a little surprised when she removed her fur cloak. Underneath she wore her strange golden armour with the keys embedded in it. He drew in a surprised breath. Her armour was _literally_ glowing. Its light filled the little clearing she stood in, but it wasn't long before she removed that too. The light fading as she cast it off into the snow.

 _She must be freezing,_ he thought as she drew in a breath and straightened her shoulders. The cold didn't seem to bother her though, even as the wind whipped at her thin undershirt. Without her armour, he could see the mark were he'd once bitten her. It looked so sinister in the dark. Almost as if the skin was black, and not a vicious pink…

His attention was ripped from her scar to her hands as she raised them in front of her. The movement looked as though she was holding something, but all there was between her palms was empty air.

"Mother…" She whispered to the night.

A spark ignited in the space between her open palms. A ball of light formed in the air, growing bigger and bigger until it touched her hands and tendrils of the light escaped its form and twirled around her body.

"I-I couldn't do it," She whispered, and the tears that streamed down her cheeks looked like liquid starlight, "I couldn't kill the Demon Prince…"

His horrid title sounded strange on her lips, and for the first time in a hundred years he wished mortals called him by his true name. Surely that wouldn't sound so ghastly when whispered in her musical voice.

The tendrils of light expanded, filling the clearing as the Princess became more emotional. He drew back as the tendrils neared him, afraid she might see him lurking. The light came close to him regardless, hovering in front of his face. His hand still gripped the tree, and in her light for a moment he thought… he thought it looked human. No claws or blood or scales… just a hand.

The light withdrew, taking with it its strange trickery. His eyes were drawn back to her once more, the light still gathering around her. She'd stopped whispering her thoughts to the night and now stood with her eyes closed as her power moved around her.

It was so curious to see, especially to someone who was as shrouded in darkness as he was. His scar tingled intensely, as though remembering that it was a result of this very same light. He understood now why it had made Zeref so angry that she still lived, and why he had been so compelled to destroy her homeland. This power was… extraordinary.

All of a sudden, the light was gone. Disappearing back into the Princess as though someone had blew out a candle. It was eerily dark in the clearing without it. The light of the moon and stars obscured once more by the storm clouds. The Princess staggered back slightly as the light hit her, her hand clasping her neck as she sucked in a startled breath.

She turned and Natsu froze. No. She couldn't be. It was as though she was looking straight at him. It was impossible. She had no way of knowing he was there. The darkness still cloaked him and he hadn't made a sound.

She turned away and he sighed in relief.

"You shouldn't be here." She said firmly. He tensed again. She knew. She knew he was here, watching her. "If Gray finds you, he won't hesitate to kill you. H-His father gave his life trying to kill you, he'd do it in a heartbeat."

She seemed almost jealous that she believed the ice wielder was capable of killing him and she wasn't. Natsu thought she could kill him. It would be easy. But for reasons unknown she'd spared him. He didn't know if she possessed this power a year ago, but a week ago she definitely had. And she'd spared him. Just as she was sparing him now.

"What are you waiting for?" She practically shouted, "Leave!"

His breathing became more panicked as he watched her struggling with herself, fists clenching at her sides. He wanted to say something to her. To thank her, to ask why, to say her name, _anything._ But his mouth wouldn't form the words.

The sound of her name filled his ears as her companions called out to her. Knowing they'd be with her soon, he spread his wings and launched himself up into the air. He looked down to see her watching him go, and he hoped she couldn't see his expression from his height.

That girl was bound to be the death of him.

* * *

 **A/N: You actually got some interaction this chapter aaahhhh! Just a heads up, part six is the longest part so far so... watch out for that. Also, I can't believe this story has over 100 followers already! I'm in shock! Thank you for all your reviews so far and please let me know what you think of this chapter!**


	6. Intended Or Not

"Master End, if you would-"

"For the last time, _Mard_ ," Natsu growled, "I have been flying all night. Food, now. Interrogation, later."

An entourage of soldiers had gathered in the courtyard of the decrepit grounds of Mard Geer's base to greet the Demon Prince, with their leader standing at the forefront. Mard's confident stance soon became a cower under Natsu's fierce glare, he'd began to fidget the moment Natsu had landed in front of him.

Natsu felt nothing as the commanders fear visibly spread through his soldiers. He sometimes felt guilt, or maybe even shame, but at the moment he had other things on his mind.

"B-But Master," Mard Geer stammered, the sight of the usually confident man squirming under his gaze made Natsu smirk, "The Titania is very-"

"Aggressive? Troublesome? Difficult to contain?" Natsu guessed. Mard nodded furiously at his last statement, "That's not my problem. Now, _food._ Don't make me ask again."

Accepting defeat, the commander's shoulders slumped. He called out to the crowd and two soldiers stepped forward. Mard ordered them to escort Natsu to the dining hall while he ensured that the mighty Erza was properly contained.

The Demon Prince followed the soldiers lead into the stone building, his stomach grumbling. The sound drew a worried glance from one of his escorts. Natsu snapped his jaws at the soldier, his grin feral. It was funny to watch them squirm, but not as funny as it used to be.

They brought him to a large room with a high ceiling and damp walls, a long table placed in the centre. The scent of the food drifted over from the table and he inhaled the aroma of all the meats the north had to offer, his mouth watering at the thought of eating his fill.

He didn't wait to be seated, preferring to stride straight over to the table and dig in. The heat from his skin produced a hissing noise when his bare feet came into contact with the damp floor, but he ignored it once his claws dug into the flesh of a large roasted bird and brought the still steaming meat to his lips.

He also ignored the way the guards watched him as he ate. He opted not to sit as the chairs were the wrong shape to accommodate his wings and he could feel their eyes on his more dragon-like features. He'd gotten used to the way people looked at him a long time ago, but he still hated it when they stared too long. He ate ravenously, hoping that the tearing of the meat between his sharp teeth would disgust them enough to make them look away.

He'd eaten about half of the table's contents before he felt the castle shake. He paused for a moment, looking up from the ribs in his hands to see the guards exchange confused glances and nervously clutch at their weapons. Natsu ignored it, he hated to be disturbed when eating. It was likely that it had merely been something to do with the Titania anyway.

Mighty Erza, leader of King Makarov's army. She was powerful. Fierce in battle and completely loyal to her king. She'd proved even a match for himself in the few times they'd fought each other directly. But she hadn't been strong enough to kill him. Not by a long shot.

She was also a brilliant tactician. There was a rumour she'd even studied under Mavis herself, but Natsu wasn't sure he believed that. As head of the king's forces, Erza would possess a lot of valuable information. And it was his job to get it out of her.

If Mard could keep her contained for more than five minutes.

As if on cue, the commander came rushing into the dining hall. He was breathless and beaten, but alive. And… wet?

Mard threw himself at Natsu's feet just as the Prince wiped the grease from his chin.

"Master," Mard began pleading, "I beg of your forgiveness-"

"Go away," Natsu snarled, turning back to the food and tuning out the sounds of a commotion beyond the walls, "I'm eating."

"B-But Master," Mard gazed up, his face full of dread, "Erza has escaped."

Realising the severity of the situation, Natsu dropped his food onto the table. He turned slowly to Mard, his heat rising as he kneeled down to bring his face inches from his subordinates.

" _What?"_ Natsu growled.

Mard shook, bowing his head so low it almost touched the floor. The smell of fear came off him in waves that assaulted Natsu's sensitive nose, forcing a snarl onto his features that served to terrify the man even more.

"It was Lord Fullbuster and his betrothed, Master," Mard whimpered, "They had Princess Heartfilia with them, we could not-"

Natsu cut him off with a roar. He noticed Mard's eyes widen in fear at the sight of the flames at the back of his throat that rose from inside him with his anger. Natsu stood, his meal long forgotten as he focused his ears on the sound of the commotion he'd chosen to ignore earlier. He could hear the clash of weapons and the cries of battle. The little rescue party hadn't quite made it out yet.

He rushed for the door, sprinting through the stone corridors until he reached the courtyard he'd landed in not that long ago. A group of guards and a dishevelled Mard running close behind him. Once they emerged, they were greeted with the sight of the battle currently waging in their midst.

Despite their numbers, it was clear the rescue team was winning.

Some soldiers had been encased in ice by the still half-naked Lord Fullbuster who once again fought beside the Princess. The two of them fought with their elemental weapons of ice and light, preventing any of the soldiers from getting too close to a horse-drawn cart where a bloodied and beaten Erza lay only barely conscious, a stolen sword clutched in her hand. Lord Fullbuster's betrothed, Juvia of the Rain People, worked at getting the gate open. A barrier of water surrounding her and protecting her from harm.

She succeeded in getting it open just as Natsu emerged. The blue-haired girl used her water barrier to dispose of those surrounding her before dashing to the cart and taking up the reins, calling to her betrothed as she went.

At the sound of her voice, Lord Fullbuster and the Princess began to retreat. But every time they made an attempt to board the cart, a soldier got too close and they were forced back into battle, often fending off three or more at a time. There was never enough time for them to escape.

All the while, Juvia kept soldiers from closing the gates with her water, but even that was becoming increasingly difficult. Natsu noticed Mard smirk beside him, obviously thinking that there was no way they could escape, that they were too outnumbered.

The cries of the horses drew his attention back to the battle. He let out a startled breath at the sight of the cart racing through the gates as the Princess fended off all soldiers that tried to peruse them.

Alone.

Natsu could see the conflicted look on the retreating Lord's face at leaving their comrade behind, but the Princess fought valiantly. She never once turned to flee, even when the young Lord called to her, begging her to hurry.

Once the cart was out of the gates and Juvia was too far away to work her water magic, soldiers stepped forward and closed the gates. It was impossible for the Princess to escape now.

Even realising this, she fought on. Brandishing two swords of light as the soldiers formed a circle around her. Her face never lost its determined features even when the soldiers taunted her with sickening jeers and vile insults.

One soldier stepped forward, his sword raised to fight her, but she quickly cut him down. More soldiers approached her from all angles, and it was then that Natsu snapped back into reality.

"Stop!" He called, and all eyes turned to him.

Upon seeing him, some of the soldiers sneered. Most likely thinking that they were about to watch the Demon Prince kill the last decedent of the Celestial Plains. The crowd parted to give him an easy route to her, but it was not her that his stern gaze scanned. It was the soldiers who raised their weapons to her.

"I'll thank you not to touch what's mine." He growled at them.

The soldiers retreated as he began to pace forward, seething their weapons and getting out of his way. He quickly forgot about them all and focused solely on the Princess. She shifted slightly under his intense gaze, but did not back away. One of her swords disappeared and the other shifted its form, turning into a dagger as she met his gaze with a steely look in her brown eyes.

He stopped a few feet away from her. Their eyes never left each other. He waited and waited for her to make a move, to strike out at him, but she didn't so much as flinch. A feeling flashed through him, too fast for him to identify, but it stoked the fire in him. The only emotion he'd even known to do that was anger.

Just as the feeling flashed through him, the Princess flinched, as though her neck suffered from a twitch. It was then that he made his move.

He sprung, darting low and using his wings to glide across the ground. He took her by surprise, grasping her ankle with a clawed hand before beating his wings and soaring into the air. He took off so fast her head didn't even have time to hit the ground when she fell. Her weapon disappeared as she called out in shock.

He rose in the air, taking them higher and flying away from Mard's holdout. He had no idea where he was taking her, but he wanted her away from them. Away from them and all to himself.

She struggled in his grasp, attempting to use her other foot to kick him and missing every time. He laughed at her efforts, but it wasn't a cruel laugh. She looked funny hanging upside down, the winds whipping at her hair.

The forest spread out beneath them, Mard's base soon disappearing from view. He was looking for a place to land when the Princess used her momentum to swing herself up, only giving him a moment to be surprised as she released a battle cry before slamming her bare palm into the centre of his chest.

The world exploded.

A flash of light filled his vision and the burning feeling her weapons gave him filled his body. He felt himself falling and he knew he'd dropped the Princess but when he tried to beat his wings, they wouldn't move.

The two of them crashed through the canopy, branches cutting into their skin before they slammed into the ground.

Natsu groaned and rolled onto his side, grimacing at the pain but relieved that nothing seemed to be broken. He opened his eyes as he pushed himself up and was shocked at the sight of his hand in the dirt.

His hand was human.

There were no claws, no scales. Just tanned skin.

He sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain in his head. His other hand was the same. He looked down at the rest of his body. All of his scales were gone. He craned his neck in an attempt to see his back, but he didn't need to see it to know. He couldn't feel them. His wings were gone. His tail too.

He slammed his hands to his head.

His horns were gone too.

He scrambled to a near-by puddle in the dirt, desperate to see his human features. He'd never known what he'd looked like before he died, and Zeref always refused to tell him. He only ever said that he had always been what he was.

His reflection showed him his own face, but without the red scales marring his tanned skin. Without the horns, his pink hair stuck up all over the place, even falling into his eyes. Eyes that were no longer red. They were still dark but… not as terrifying.

How had this happened? How had he lost the form Zeref had given him years ago? Would he ever get it back? He didn't know if he wanted it.

The Princess. Of course. She'd done this, she'd used her light on him.

In his shock he'd forgotten about her. He looked around frantically and found her small frame lying a few feet away. By the tracks in the dirt he could tell she'd tried to crawl away from him, but strangely she'd discarded her armour. Her only protection against him was scattered haphazardly around her, as though she'd been in a hurry to remove it. He stood to go towards her, but without the weight of his wings he felt unbalanced and quickly fell to the ground again. He opted instead to crawl towards her on his hands and knees, not caring how undignified he looked.

His senses were still sharp despite the change, and he didn't doubt that he was still as strong. He may have been spared by the fall but the Princess was only human. She could be injured. Or worse.

He discovered she was still alive when he neared her and finally noticed. She was _convulsing._ This wasn't good. He came up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Still unaccustomed to not having claws, he was surprised when blood didn't blossom from his touch. But whatever happiness he might have felt about that fact was soon submerged by worry when he turned the Princess over.

Her eyes were glazed over as the tremors racked her body harder and harder. He pulled her onto his lap, trying to figure out what was wrong. It didn't take him long for his eyes to wander to her neck.

The scar he'd given her had turned black, and the colour was seeping into her skin like poison. It coiled into sinister veins and spread across her pale skin. It moved in all directions, his eyes followed it to her shoulder as it spread. She was fighting for breath and he had no idea what to do.

Hesitantly, his fingers brushed across the black marks. He drew in a breath when he felt the heat beneath her skin, the black marks pausing at his touch.

Was this… fire in her veins? It was black but he could _sense_ it beneath her skin. It was calling to him. He recognised it as a part of himself but it still seemed foreign. Whatever it was, it was clear that it was his fault.

They affected each other, somehow. Lucy with her light and him with his darkness. Just has her light had strange effects on him, it seemed she wasn't immune to his own magic as he'd thought. He'd never bitten anyone and let them live before. He hadn't known this would happen.

His fingers caressed the marks as he concentrated. He watched as he dragged his fingers across her skin, the black veins receding back to her scar has he guided the fire inside of her. Her convulsions eased slightly as he guided them back to their origin, but when he tried to entice them out altogether she let out a cry of pain.

He stopped. The marks faded and her breaths came in pants as her eyes regained their usual clarity. Her eyes scanned him as she regained her breath, taking in the sight of his human form, he presumed. She seemed a little surprised, which surprised him in turn. Hadn't she known this would happen?

What also surprised him was that she didn't push him away. They were in much the same position as they had been when he'd first bitten her, and even in the wake of the consequences from that one transgression she seemed so unafraid. Their eyes met and he swallowed nervously. This scene could seem almost tender to prying eyes. Would anyone guess they were enemies?

Where did enemies that held pieces of each other go from here?

He was saved from having to ask her when she sighed, her eyes falling shut.

She'd fallen asleep.

The Princess of the Celestial Plains had fallen asleep in the lap of the Demon Prince.

His lips quirked up at the thought.

Wait. He shouldn't be happy about this. His brother could be watching. _Gods,_ Zeref was bound to be mad if he discovered that the Princess could give his brother back his human form. Natsu's arms tightened around her at the thought.

The gesture confused him. Even now, he felt compelled to stay with her. To protect her. He would never have felt something like this before meeting her.

He remembered the scar on his neck. It was her light, it had to be. It had changed his soul just as it had changed his body. He imaged veins of light spreading from his scar across his body, just like his darkness had done to her. Maybe that had been happening all along and he couldn't see it. She hadn't condemned him, as he had her. She'd redeemed him.

He sighed to himself. No, he wouldn't leave her. He lay her on the ground gently before retrieving the pieces of her armour to set beside her. In his human form, they didn't burn him. They were merely warm to the touch. He then set about making a fire in order to keep her warm. His own heat was enough to keep the frostbite at bay, but that would require keeping her close. Letting her sleep in his arms. He didn't think she'd want that.

He hadn't lost his ability to conjure flames, which surprised him. He'd always thought it was one of the many demonic attributes Zeref had given him. But then again, even if he looked human now, he was still a demon.

Still a monster.

The glow of the flames cast a soft light on the Princesses features. He sat on the other side of the fire, doing his best to keep away from her. But he couldn't stop his eyes from lingering. She looked so peaceful as she slept. His heartbeat quickened when her body shifted so that the warmth of the fire better enveloped her. She was drawn to his heat.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. No, that was wrong. She was merely cold and seeking warmth. They were in the middle of a frosty northern forest after all.

It felt strange to watch her sleeping, like he'd never see something so peaceful again. Like he didn't deserve to be seeing it now. Whenever he pried his eyes away, his gaze soon drifted back to her. It was making him angry with himself. He'd yearned for nothing all his life, and now he was beginning to yearn for something he could never have.

He wanted to leave her, leave the war. Without him, the Fairy Tail alliance would have an easy victory and Lucy could lead a happy life. Maybe even rebuild her city. But he couldn't leave her now, not while she was vulnerable. He kept telling himself he couldn't leave because he needed answers as to whether or not he would regain his demonic form, but he knew he was fooling himself.

Hours passed, and the gloomy day soon gave way to a starlit night. Natsu maintained his quiet vigil over the Princess, anxiously waiting for her to wake as the cries of wolves filled the night once again. In his human form, he found the cold bothered him more. The cold air bit at his skin, making him wish he'd worn a shirt. How did that Ice Princess do this all the time?

His train of thought was interrupted by a gasp from the Princess. He looked up from the fire to see that she'd jolted awake, a light sheen of sweat coating her forehead as though she'd awoken from a bad dream. She looked around in confusion as she regained her breaths, but soon found the air stolen from her lungs once again when her eyes found him.

She sat frozen, staring at him in disbelief. He knew he should say something but words failed him. What exactly did one say in a situation such as this?

She looked away after the two of them held each other's gazes for a few moments. It seemed even when he was human, she couldn't bare the sight of him. The thought made him hang his head in shame. He watched from under his lashes as she shuffled closer to the fire, her arms tightening around herself as she tried to keep warm.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He finally managed to say after a few minutes of tense silence.

The Princesses eyes scanned him for a moment as though she was judging the sincerity of his words. A crease appeared between her brows once her eyes returned to the fire.

"It doesn't really look like you'd be able to, Demon Prince." She said to the fire.

There it was again. That horrid title on her lips. He hated it. He hated that name. He was no Prince, but he knew he was a demon. Why did humans feel the need to remind him all the time? His heart clenched as the name escaped her, and he couldn't stop himself from correcting her.

"Natsu." He tried to keep the hurt from his voice, "My name is Natsu."

The Princesses features never changed as she brought her knees up to her chest. She seemed so small, but without fear. She must hide it well, he thought. There wasn't a soul in Earthland that wasn't afraid of him.

"Lucy," She said, barely above a whisper, "I'm Lucy."

She chanced another look at him and he felt his heartbeat hammering in his chest.

"I know who you are, Princess." He replied gently.

"Of course you do," Her bitter laugh filled the air as she stood, "You killed my mother."

Her quick change of demeanour caught him off guard. He stood too, afraid she would leave. He had no idea why talking with her made him so nervous until her words made him realise. He didn't want her to hate him like everyone else.

"No," He attempted to defend himself weakly, even knowing it was futile, "That wasn't me. That was my brother."

"Technicalities." She spat at him before turning away.

She began to gather her armour while his brain scrambled to think of a way he could get her to stay. Going out alone would be dangerous for her, even if she did have her armour. He doubted she'd know which way to go, and he couldn't risk her accidently walking straight back into Mard's clutches. He wouldn't be able to give Zeref's soldiers a plausible reason as to why she was still alive.

"Wait!" He begged, "It's dangerous at night, you should wait 'til morning."

"As if I'm going to spend the night with you." She scowled.

"I told you, I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to give his voice a soothing tone and kept his distance from her. He hoped that if she didn't feel threatened, she would stay.

He could see her weighing her options in her mind as her emotions dashed across her face. She hadn't even put her armour back on yet. Just a little more persuading and surely she would stay.

"Why would I save you, keep you safe, only to hurt you now?" He asked quietly, although he didn't really expect an answer.

But he got one.

" _Save_ me?" Her anger sparked. She threw her armour to the ground as she slowly prowled towards him, her anger rising with each step, "You think you _saved_ me? You left me alive to suffer! If you wanted to spare me, you should have killed me that day in the tower! How is leaving me alive while everything I love burns around me, _saving me?_ "

She was close to him now, standing on her tip-toes to get right in his face. The anger in her eyes was terrifying. So much so, he found himself stepping back. She stepped forward as her hateful rant continued, every word like a punch to the chest.

"Do you know what it's like?" She cried, "To feel so guilty for living that you want to die? I would have gave you my life _willingly_ if only you would have spared my city, my people, my _mother._ Why? _Why_ did you do it?!"

"I-" He began hopelessly, but she cut him off. She was crying now.

"And you know what the worst part is?" She asked, her voice low. She pulled the neck of her thin black shirt aside and pointed at the scar he'd given her, " _This._ As if the guilt wasn't enough, as if the constant reminder wasn't enough. Because of this _thing,_ I'm disgusting. I'm a _monster._ Your anger, your constant anger, seeps into me like poison. I punch walls, I snap at my friends, I hurt the people I love and for what? All because a demon wanted to play with _mercy_."

The anger that had fuelled her ran its course and she fell to her knees. The sound of her sobs filled the clearing as he stood there, speechless. What had he done?

"I-I don't understand-" He stammered.

"Put it this way," She told him from the ground, her voice firm, "One day, you are going to kill me. Whether you intended to or not."

He looked down just as she began to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Even with bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks she was still so beautiful. So bright. He didn't want to kill her. He never had. Her death was the one thing his brother wanted that Natsu refused to give hm.

"Tell me," He breathed as he knelt down to face her, "Tell me how to fix it and I will."

There was no anger in her eyes now, only sadness. Somehow, that was even worse.

"You can't fix it Natsu." She whispered.

Now that name. That name coming from her lips? He could listen to her say that name for a hundred years. It was his name, his true name. And she'd said it. His heart soared for a second before plummeting back down to reality as he took in her words.

"Why not?" He asked just as quietly, "Those marks, I stopped them before. I can do it again."

"Maybe," She sighed, "But you can't remove the darkness once it's there. That's why your wings and your horns, all of it will come back eventually."

"I don't understand." He groaned before settling down in front of her. "Explain it, please. My darkness, your light. How can I fix this? There must be a way."

They were talking almost casually, despite the grim topic. Despite her outburst. But he supposed she'd been waiting to get that out of her system for a while now, and letting it all out had drained her of the energy to be repulsed by him. There was still an air of caution radiating from the Princess, but he could understand that. He just wanted to help her, he didn't care if his brother was watching anymore.

Something strange came into her eyes when he asked her to explain. He thought it was a look of kindness, but he had no prior knowledge of that to base it on.

"When I hit you with my light," She began cautiously, "It banished the darkness from you. But it's like pulling up a plant and leaving the roots. It's still there, deep inside you. It'll grow back."

He looked down at open palms. His human hands. Was there a way to banish the darkness completely?

"When you… bit me," She continued, "You planted some of your darkness. It should have taken over me, I should look like you do normally. But my light, it keeps it a bay. Stops the darkness from consuming me. That means that whenever I use a lot of my light, like I did with you, there's nothing left in my body to stop it. One day, I'll use too much light and it will spread. As a descendent of the Celestial Plains, by body is naturally accustomed to harbouring the light, which means it won't be able to adapt the darkness. Meaning…"

"You won't become like me," He finished for her, "The darkness will kill you."

The Princess nodded.

"I suppose it's sort of a good thing," She laughed nervously, wringing her hands, "I'd rather die than become a monster."

He looked away as her head snapped up in realisation of her words. She'd rather die than be like him, was what she meant. She reached out a hand to apologise, but he waved her off. A small grin forming at her kind heart compelling her not to mistreat even her enemy.

"No, it's fine. I understand." He assured her, "I wouldn't want to be like me either. No one wants to be a monster."

"You didn't ask to be what you are, Natsu."

He looked at her. No, he didn't. But no one on her side had ever understood that before. He wanted to cry. Here was this girl whom he'd given nothing but hurt and yet she still strove to understand his pain. She didn't run from him in fear, even when he wished she would. She didn't kill him, even though it was within her right to do so. She'd spared him countless times, why? How could someone be so, so… _good_?

He leaned forward suddenly, bringing his face inches away from hers. She leaned back slightly, but didn't cower in fear or scramble away.

Her eyes widened when his tears began to fall.

"I am _so sorry_ ," He admitted, "I'm sorry. I know words mean nothing, but I am. I am sorry. If I could go back and stop it, stop my brother from destroying the Celestial Plains, then I would. Hell, I'd go back and stop him from reviving me. I'm a monster, _look what I've done to you._ "

His fingers reached for her scar as he spoke the words, but he couldn't bring himself to touch her. Even without his claws he'd most likely hurt her. He had no right to be anywhere near her. He had no right to know her.

"You gave me a gift, even after all I've done is curse you and hurt you. I want your forgiveness more than I want to live, but living as this monster is what I deserve. I-"

"Natsu," Lucy interrupted him. One of her small hands came up and cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing away stray tears. He wanted to lean into her touch, but the gesture was so intimate it shocked him, "What gift? I haven't given you anything. Are you talking about not killing you?"

"No, although I definitely don't deserve your mercy either." He confessed, all the while looking into her deep brown eyes, "I meant your light. It's changed me. It made me a person again."

"I told you, it's only temporary-"

"I'm not talking about my body, I'm talking about my soul." Lucy looked confused at his words so he leaned back slightly and explained, fingers taping the scar on his neck, "You gave me this. With your light. It's like your own scar, but it's not foul and poisonous. I can feel it when you're near, I realised that last night when I found you in the clearing. But it's more than that. I don't feel numb any more, Lucy. I haven't felt numb since I met you."

His confession was followed by a long silence. The only sound that filled the night was that of the crackling fire and the distant wolves. He drew away from her, intending to gather wood for the fire in order to leave her alone with her thoughts. He hadn't known what he'd expected. Perhaps for her to laugh in his face at the notion that he felt as humans felt? But silence was all he got.

He stood to leave, but her hand circled his wrist. She tugged on his arm gently, urging him so sit beside her. He was confused but he complied, settling himself in the dirt beside her. Careful not to get too close as they turned their backs to the fire.

"Do you know any constellations?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.

He knew a few but he shook his head. That tiny smile was too captivating for him to give a damn about stars. He didn't dare assume she was happy in his presence, but he cautiously accepted that she at least seemed comfortable for now.

"Well," She pointed to the sky, "That one's Leo the Lion, leader of the zodiac…"

She went on for hours. Telling him the names of stars and all of their stories. His gaze flitted between her and the stars, trying to decipher which glowed brighter. His heart filled with a warmth that was so different to the fire behind them, and when the cold breeze made her shiver that warmth made him bold enough to move a little closer and let his own heat seep into her skin.

She didn't move away.

* * *

 **A/N: So this chapter was long! It's my favourite so far I think, so be sure to let me know what you think! Thank you so much for all the reviews so far, please keep them coming!**

 **PS. This whole story is from Natsu's POV, but I was wondering if anyone is interested in Lucy's side of the story? If so, please let me know as I'm considering writing the story again, but from her side. Just a heads up, Lucy's story is likely to be longer as I would have to write about what she did in the year after Natsu bit her (if you don't want to read it from Lucy's POV, don't worry. It will still be revealed what she did in this side of the story.)**


	7. Hesitantly Optimistic

Natsu thoroughly denied waking.

Waking would mean that this moment would be over, and he did not want it to end.

The fire had died out during the night, and as a result the Princess had turned to him in search of relief from the cold night air. She had been the first to succumb to sleep, her head falling on his shoulder. He'd lain her down gently on the ground but was still careful to keep his distance from her before settling down for the night himself.

But now, he didn't have to open his eyes to know. He lay on his side, his arms tight around the Princesses waist, keeping her close to him as she slept. Her breaths tickling his chest. She shivered as a morning breeze blew by, so he moved his wing to shield her from the wind.

 _His wing._

His eyes snapped open. He looked to his hand on the Princesses waist and found it scaled and clawed once again. He scrambled away from her. He was a monster again. His claws, his scales, his tail, his wings. It was all back.

"Natsu?" He heard Lucy ask sleepily.

Her saying his name had no effect on him in the wake of his grief over the return of his demonic features. The inevitable reminder of what he was and what could never be.

He turned away from her. The sight of him like this was sure to bring back painful memories for her, and he couldn't bear to see that look of hatred directed at him again. Especially from her. It was light now. He could leave her in peace knowing she'd be relatively safe on her own.

A hand touched his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked him softly.

He shrugged off her touch, looking over his shoulder to find a hurt expression on her face. The expression he'd put there, and never wanted to do so again.

"Don't touch me, Princess." He attempted to growl, but failed, "I could hurt you."

"Natsu," She chided whilst turning him to face her, that tell-tale feeling in his chest returning, "You're not going to hurt me."

Her words made the feeling in his chest grow, and he couldn't deny it any longer.

He was falling for her.

He was falling for Lucy Heartfilia, his sworn enemy. And he was falling hard and fast.

Natsu's watched as her eyes filled with a playful curiosity. He smirked to himself as she poked the scales on his arm and hesitantly reached up to run a finger along one of his horns. Her eyes drifted back to his as her fingers touched the bone, her own smirk answering his.

"Oh, and don't call me 'Princess' ever again." She ordered.

His smile grew, and he huffed out a plume of smoke from his nostrils in protest. It startled her, but she was soon laughing as she wafted the smoke away from her face with her hand. She was _laughing._ The sound was all the confirmation he need to know he was falling for her. It was the best thing he'd ever heard; his new favourite sound.

Their smiles soon fell away as reality drifted back in. They'd have to part ways soon. Go back to being enemies, fighting on opposite sides of the war.

"Lucy, I want to see you again." He confessed, "Somewhere other than the battlefield."

If she turned him away, he would understand. One night didn't make up for a years' worth of pain. There was still a possibility they could never be friends, and even though the thought made his heart bleed he accepted the truth of the logic. What else could they be but enemies?

"Do you know of the giant Sakura tree just outside of Magnolia city?" She asked, jarring him from his thoughts.

"Yes."

"Can you get to it? Safely?"

For him, Magnolia was enemy territory. If there was anywhere he was likely to be caught, it was there. The city was home to King Makarov after all. But the tree which Lucy was referring to was just outside of the city limits, and wasn't somewhere that would be heavily guarded. If it was guarded at all. It should be safe enough for him to fly there under the cover of night.

He nodded.

"It's settled then." She grinned, "Two nights from now I shall send a messenger to meet you there carrying word from me with our next meeting point inside."

"A messenger? Why not come yourself?"

"We can't be seen together Natsu," Her smile fell, "It's too dangerous. We have to be cautious if we want to… be friends."

Natsu sighed, but he understood her hesitation. They could both be punished for failing to kill the other on sight.

"Alright then," He agreed, "But make sure this messenger is someone you trust. Someone who won't betray you."

There was no one Natsu could trust with this. He would tell no one about Lucy. And if anyone found out, he'd get rid of them. He'd keep her safe.

She told him not to worry before moving away and equipping her armour once more. He knew she was merely preparing to leave, but he felt a little estranged knowing he couldn't touch her now that she wore it. He remembered how she'd discarded it the night before, frowning in confusion.

"Your armour. Why did you take it off last night when you were…?" He trailed off, not knowing how to end his question.

"You can't touch it when you're like this can you?" She asked, and he shook his head, remembering how the metal burned, "It's the same for me when my darkness comes out. It hurts."

It was strange that she seemed to accept his darkness as a part of herself. Like she'd learned to live with the poison. Her eyes were sad as she tightened her bracers, as though she felt that the armour had rejected her. He wanted to ask its history, for it certainly was strange, but he feared the memories might cause her pain.

Before parting ways he flew above the trees in order to determine their location and send Lucy in the right direction. He would have offered to fly her, but carrying her would have been a little difficult considering he couldn't touch her. And it went without question that she wouldn't want to be carted around by her feet again.

He had no doubt she'd be able to get home safe. She was strong and determined. A forest wasn't going to stop her. He feared his own return home, wondering if Zeref had been watching the two of them all night. He saw none of his brothers forces heading their way, but that didn't mean they weren't out there somewhere. If his brother knew what had happened, Natsu would never get the chance to see Lucy again.

"Lucy, there's something I need to tell you," He admitted once he landed.

Her expression grew worried instantly.

"It's about my brother," He began, "Zeref has been… watching you. I don't know how he does it, it might be my fault, but he has this orb. And I've seen you in it. Once before I went into that battle a few weeks ago; he was watching you fight before I got there, and he saw when I asked you to kill me."

The memory made them both flinch, but Lucy's confusion encouraged him to go on talking.

"We also watched you for a moment at the victory ball afterwards," He continued, "You were wearing a lilac dress. You looked so beautiful…"

He blushed once he realised what he'd said. He was about to offer up an embarrassed apology when he noticed Lucy's own blush and a shy smile before she shook her head and returned to the topic at hand.

"So, what you're saying is," She clarified, "Is that Zeref may have been watching us all this time?"

Natsu nodded.

"And if he has," he concluded, "I'll probably never see you again."

He was startled when the Princess rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, making him stumble back a few steps. Once his shock had dissipated, he wanted nothing more than to return the embrace. But his fear of hurting her was far greater than his want.

"You'll see me again," She promised as she drew away from him, "Thank you for telling me. I'll figure out a way to stop him from prying."

The feeling of a smile pulling on his lips came as no surprise as he marvelled at her determination. It remained on his face even as she made her quick farewells and disappeared into the trees, leaving him to make his own journey home. It was time to return to his brother.

His smile fell.

* * *

 **A/N: aaaahhhh I'm so glad you guys liked last chapter! And also that a lot of people are interested in a Lucy POV. That means so much to me, honestly. It was also so kind that some of you inquired about my well-being. I'm not straining myself, don't worry! At the moment I have until part 14 written out already, and I'm currently working on part 15. That's how I'm able to update fast and regularly. Although in truth, I'm not working on my other fics at the moment. I feel really bad about it, but this story is what's inspiring me right now so I'm going with it! I hope you don't mind.**

 **Thank you to all the amazing reviews so far! Please keep them coming! They all put a smile on my face and make writing so much more rewarding.**


	8. Spinning Lies

It was no surprise to find Acnologia circling in the skies above their fortress as Natsu dropped from the cover of the clouds once home came into view.

'Home'. Such a strange word. It conjures up the image of warmth and light; of rooms filled with laughter and a family bundled up together in front of the fire.

Well, fire they had plenty of.

Although the Celestial Plains had been located in the centre of a blazing dessert, it had still been picturesque. A beautiful city that had risen from the sand and glowed in the night. The Dragneel's fortress was quite the opposite. Their own dessert terrain was very much a wasteland, and the black castle at the centre of the fortress looked like a scar upon the land.

Acnologia flew towards him, his giant wings cutting through the sky. Natsu was forced to swerve in the air to avoid a head-on collision with Zeref's dragon minion, causing the beasts laugh to rumble through the air like thunder.

"Someone's in trouble." The dragon's gravelly voice chuckled.

A shiver ran up Natsu's spine that had nothing to do with their altitude. He hid his trepidation by snarling at Acnologia, but that only made the vicious dragon laugh harder. Natsu gritted his teeth and flew away. It was best to get this over and done with.

Bells rang out to announce his return, some soldiers even cheered. He greeted no one as he flew, winding around the towers and over walls in order to land in the main courtyard. People in the courtyard scattered as he came into view, wanting to get out of his way. He was known to be angry upon returning if his mission hadn't gone as planned.

It was empty once he landed. He cast his eyes about as his wings folded into place at his back. Not even the guards stationed above him looked down. He was left completely to his own devices.

That must mean his brother was already on his way.

Sure enough, the large metal doors in front of him were pushed open and his brother emerged from the depths of their fortress. His black hair fell in front of his eyes as he approached Natsu, making it hard for the younger brother to determine his superior's mood.

Zeref came to a stop in front of him.

And flung his arms around Natsu.

"Natsu!" Zeref sounded relieved, "Gods, where were you?! I couldn't see you, Natsu. I couldn't see you."

This was… odd. It had been a long time since Zeref had given him such an open display of affection. He didn't quite know how to react.

Before he had time to decide on the proper response to a hug, his brother withdrew. Zeref held him at arm's length as his dark eyes took in Natsu's appearance.

"Where have you been?" Zeref inquired, his usual demanding tone slipping back into his voice, "I couldn't see you in the lacrima. I've had no word from Mard. What on earth happened in the north, Natsu? Did you get substantial information out of The Titania?"

Natsu cringed internally. Zeref was relatively calm at the moment, and revealing what happened in the north would undoubtedly cause his anger to build. The soldiers had been right to clear out. They were getting out of the blast radius.

"Erm, no," Natsu began hesitantly, starting with his brothers final question, "Erza escaped before I had the opportunity to interrogate her."

Well, there had been an opportunity to interrogate her, but he'd neglected it due to the rumbling of his stomach. He decided it would be best for his health if Zeref didn't know that, and prayed to all the gods that Mard's eventual report wouldn't be too detailed.

"What?" Zeref asked, his voice was calm but his eyebrow had begun to twitch.

"She was rescued by Lord Fullbuster and his fiancée, with the help of Princess Lucy," Natsu blurted. It was better to just rip the band aid off at this point.

"And what, exactly, were you doing during this _rescue_?"

Oh no. This was bad. Zeref should have let out even a little of his rage right now. Natsu had expected his brother to be too mad to mull over the details, but apparently luck was not on his side.

 _Think, think!_ He thought to himself desperately. Telling the truth was completely out of the question. _What was I doing? Why brother, I was admiring the way the Princess fought. The Princess whom you have ordered to be killed several times. Also, after I had finished gawking, I flew away with her and spent the night holding her close under the stars!_

No. That would not go down well.

"Well, I-I…" Natsu stammered, "I took the opportunity to challenge the Princess by allowing for her companions to go free." He made up as he went along, "I thought that disposing of the Princess would be far more beneficial than any information The Titania could provide, so I seized her and took to the skies. I intended to drop her from a height to ensure she died this time, but she struck me and I… I have been unconscious until this morning."

Zeref narrowed his eyes.

The silence stretched between them as Zeref took in the information. Natsu fought hard not to fidget as he waited for his brother's response. There was enough holes in his story as it was, he didn't want his behaviour to give him away.

His punishment would be worse for lying.

"That wasn't your decision to make Natsu," Zeref declared finally, his voice low, "You may have our followers respect, but you are not their leader. I am."

Natsu nodded before hanging his head in an attempt to look shameful. He saw his brothers feet turn on the cobblestone, retreating back into the fortress. Natsu followed a step behind. He knew this wasn't the end of their conversation.

"As for the matter of the Princess," Zeref continued as expected as they made their way through the dimly lit corridors, "You said she struck you. Was that while you were flying?"

Natsu nodded.

"That means she fell too," His brother deduced as they entered his chambers, "Did you find her body?"

"N-No brother," Natsu stammered as they came into the grand hall, "I was alone when I awoke. I tried to follow her scent but the forest is vast and I was weary."

Zeref groaned in frustration before slamming his hand down on the large oak desk in centre of the room that was littered with maps and charts all pertaining to the war. The noise made Natsu gulp, knowing his brothers rage was growing but being clueless as to where it would be directed.

"Why is she so damned hard to kill?!" The dark haired brother cried.

Zeref began muttering to himself, pacing in front of the desk. Natsu watched penitently, catching flashes of his brother's thoughts as he voiced them aloud. From what the younger brother could decipher, Zeref was very worried about Lucy's ability to incapacitate him. He asked for details on the attack, but Natsu told him nothing more than the feeling of the light touching him and claiming to have been unconscious since then.

"And that's all you remember?" Zeref inquired, "A flash of light, and then you were simply unconscious for a day? That was it?"

The feeling of being human flashed through Natsu's mind. It had been so good, so refreshing. The breeze felt much cooler on his skin than it did on his scales. And his hands without claws meant he could touch living things without making them bleed. He could touch _her_ without hurting her, if she let him.

"Yeah," Natsu told his brother, "That was it."

* * *

 **A/N: Ooooo Natsu. The deception begins! Thank you so much for all the nice reviews! To those of you that have taken issues with the length of the chapters, I'm very sorry but some are shorter than others. I don't want to include unnecessary events just to up the words count. I fear that it would be less interesting if I did that. I do hate it when a chapter is below 1000 words though, so I try!**

 **I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter so please leave a review!**


	9. Meet The Messenger

Two nights later and Natsu did the unthinkable.

He snuck out.

It was a miracle in itself that he had the means to do so, really. His brother had been so worried about the scale of the Princesses power that he'd completely forgotten to punish him for his recklessness. Instead Zeref had devoted all his time looking into the charred remains of the Celestial Plains history in the vain hope that he would find a way stop her.

Natsu frowned as he soared through the night. Whenever the topic of the Princess arose, he refrained from saying her name. Zeref pronounced 'Lucy' with so much disgust that Natsu thought the contrast between their feelings towards her would be startlingly obvious if he spoke her name aloud.

He kept having to remind himself that he wasn't seeing her tonight, only her messenger. But his wings beat faster against the wind anyway, his excitement running through his veins like lightning. It had been worryingly easy to sneak away from his fortress undetected, so he'd flown away from Magnolia, making sure no one followed him before he took to the clouds and doubled back on himself.

The Sakura tree was growing close, Magnolia's skyline illuminating the night some distance behind it. He kept to the shadows, hiding in the branches of the tree as he waited for Lucy's messenger. Through the leaves, he could see Makarov's palace. The place were Lucy currently called home, mere wing beats away.

A voice stopped him from flying straight into enemy territory.

"Are you Natsu?"

Natsu had to fight hard not to fall out of the tree. He'd expected that he'd sit in wait for the messenger, and that when they arrived he would be able to see them below. He had not expected that the messenger would be able to fly.

Or that they would be a blue talking cat.

With wings.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" The cat asked, "Are you some sorta dumbie?"

Natsu scowled.

"No!" He shouted at the feline, forgetting the need to keep his voice down.

"Ooohhh, so you're _not_ Natsu then?"

"I am Natsu!" He told the cat, "But I'm not a dumbie!"

The cat seemed to inspect him then, as though he didn't quite believe him. A paw scratching his chin as his gaze drifted from Natsu's horns, to his wings, to his face. His staring made Natsu impatient.

"Are you the messenger?" He asked.

"I'm Happy!" The cat beamed, but then his expression grew worried, "Lucy shouldn't be talking to you."

Natsu frowned again. He knew that. This whole thing was dangerous, stupid. But he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay away.

"Are you going to tell on her?" His voice was low. If protecting Lucy meant he had to kill this cat, then so be it. Messenger or not.

He expected the cat to look worried, but instead he smiled that cheeky grin again.

"Nope!" The feline laughed, and Natsu found himself smiling back at the strange creature.

"That's great little buddy! Now, I think you have a message for me?"

Happy -as Natsu had now deduced was the cat's name and not simply a declaration of how he was feeling- rolled his eyes and settled himself down on the branch beside him. The creature rummaged in a little green rucksack that was slung over his back. Natsu expected him to produce a letter, but instead he brought out a fish.

"Lucy said," The cat began between mouthfuls of fish, "To meet her tomorrow at sunset, at the lookout on Vermillions Peak."

Vermillions Peak was a mountain a few miles North of Magnolia. The mountain was said to be sacred ground, he knew, but apparently Lucy thought it was safe. And its lookout offered him an easy place to land.

"Is that all?" Natsu asked, surprised by the shortness of the message.

"Well, she said a bunch of other stuff," Happy admitted, "But I wasn't really listening."

"Geez, she really picked a great messenger."

"Wait, I think she said something about being really excited to see you again."

"Really?" Natsu brightened, causing Happy to snicker.

"You liiiiike her." The cat sang.

Natsu was tempted to push him out the tree.

"So will you be there?" Happy asked once Natsu had finished blushing.

"Of course."

"Y-You're… not gonna hurt Lucy, are you?"

The question didn't anger him coming from this strange cat for some reason. He could see that Happy was only asking because he genuinely cared about her. He wondered how the two of them had met.

"Because it's my job to protect her you know!" Happy shook a threatening paw at him.

"Is it now?" Natsu bit back a laugh.

"Yes! Well, kinda." Happy's ears turned down as he explained, "It's actually Loke's job. He gives council to whoever bares the armour. But he said that felines protect their friends! So that means I protect Lucy too!"

Happy's explanation of this 'Loke' person confused him a little, although it did intrigue him. He set aside his curiosity for now and offered Happy some reassurance.

"Well I'm no feline, but I wanna protect Lucy too." He patted Happy's head, "Don't worry. I won't let anything bad happen to her."

"But you burned her homeland." Happy pointed out.

He flinched. The memory made Natsu feel sick. Happy had every right not to trust him. So did Lucy. At the time, he'd merely been following orders. But now he blamed himself. The fires would have burned even if he hadn't set them, but that didn't excuse what he did. He regretted his actions now more than ever.

"I know," Natsu managed to ground out as the guilt warred within him, "I swear, one day, I'll rebuild it. I'll bring it back from the ashes if I have to. I know that doesn't change what I've done but… Lucy would make a great Queen. It's my fault she has nothing left to rule over. I want to fix that."

"Are you gonna join Fairy tail?"

"Erm," Natsu hesitated, "I don't think they would like that idea."

"Why not? Lucy likes you."

"I'm not so certain she-"

"And you like her, even though she's a weirdo."

"I… guess she is a little weird." Natsu agreed while trying to hide his blush.

"So why not ask?" Happy grinned, "I'll put a good word in for ya."

Natsu was suddenly grateful for the cat's boundless optimism. It made a nice change from being around his brother all the time. He decided then and there that he liked Happy. And he hoped that Happy liked him too.

"Thanks buddy," Natsu smiled, "Make sure you give that word to Lucy though. And no one else."

"Don't worry!" Happy winked back at him, "Your secret is safe with me!"

* * *

 **A/N: EVERYONE PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE COVER. THAT'S RIGHT. THIS FIC HAS A COVER NOW AND, PERSONALLY, I LOVE IT. HUGE THANKS TO USER BAKAFANGIRL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE IT. IT MEANS SO MUCH.**

 **This chapter was originally shorter but I tried hard to bulk it up a little so that it was more worthy or whatever. It's still pretty short, but I hoped you liked this scene still anyways! Thank you for all your amazing reviews so far! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter also!**


	10. Away From Prying Eyes

The sun was setting on the horizon when Natsu landed on the lookout of Vermillions peak. He thought he was running late, but Lucy was nowhere to be seen.

It had been harder this time to get away from Zeref. His brother had wanted them to dine together tonight, but of course Natsu had to refuse. Zeref did not like that, and Natsu could sense that his brother knew he was lying when he claimed to be in need of a hunt.

It was likely Zeref would watch him once he'd finished his meal.

He'd have to leave Lucy before then.

Natsu sat, his legs dangling over the edge of the lookout as he waited for her. As the seconds ticked by his anxiety grew. What if Lucy didn't show? What if she'd changed her mind? What if she'd finally realised the truth of what he was?

He thought of her. Her golden hair and warm eyes. There was so much about her that he didn't know, so much he wished he could ask. The question at the top of his list: why? Why did she treat him the way she did, even after all he'd done? Of course, she could still show up here with an army at her back, and he would still sit patiently waiting. Hell, she didn't even need an army.

Footsteps sounded on the rocks behind him. Soft, but fast. She was running to him and he did not know why. Perhaps she meant a surprise attack? To stab him from behind and kill him quickly? That seemed the most likely. He would not fool himself into believing she was eager to see him.

The racing footsteps got closer, and the next thing he knew a flash of light dazzled his vision and pain blazed up his arm. He roared, the sound echoing off the mountain as he watched his scales retreat from the light that blazed on his right shoulder, burning his skin.

He turned, the pain fuelling his rage. He raised a clawed hand to swipe at his attacker, but when he faced them, soft hands cupped his cheeks.

"Ssshhh, it's alright," Lucy cooed, her thumbs stroking his scaled cheeks, "I know it hurts, I'm sorry. But it was the only way I could think of."

Confused, Natsu felt his brows furrow. The pain in his shoulder was dying down now, little by little, so he let Lucy cradle his face as his breathing calmed down and he gritted his teeth against the last of the pain. His heart was still hammering though, even after the pain was gone.

She released his face once the light faded, and he looked to his shoulder to see a red mark painted against tan skin. As though his scales had faded to make room for it.

"It's the Fairy Tail emblem," Lucy explained, "I figured out how to stop Zeref from spying on me, so each member of our alliance has one now. I thought you should too, so you can have some privacy."

He knew what the mark was. He'd seen their flag flying on the battle field many times, their emblem painted in a different colour on each one. He'd seen it on Erza Scarlett's armour. He'd seen it painted on the cheeks of his enemies.

And now it was on his shoulder.

"Lucy…" He breathed as he turned his shocked expression to face her.

She wasn't wearing her armour, he noticed. Instead she wore simple clothes, something a squire might wear. Tight black pants and a long, loose fitting shirt. Strands of her hair escaped from her braid and fluttered in the breeze around her delicate features. She was looking at his shocked expression with a slight pink colouring to her cheeks before she smiled at him.

"I have one too. See?" She raised her right hand and there, panted on the back of her hand, was the same mark he now bore on his shoulder. Hers was pink.

He reached out and gently clasped her wrist, bringing her hand closer so he could inspect the guild mark. It looked just like a regular tattoo, but he could feel something more hidden beneath her skin.

"I-I know that just because you have Fairy Tail's mark, that doesn't mean you're with us," Her eyes avoided his and her voice was anxious, "But I know you're not against us either. Well, against _me_ anyway. Or, I hope you aren't. If you want I could try change it-"

"No." He interrupted her, smiling softly when her eyes finally met his, "I like how looks."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief, smiling at him once more before moving to sit beside him. He watched her move, shifting closer when she too dangled her legs over the side of the cliff. He'd catch her if she fell.

"I'm sorry about the pain. And surprising you." She added sheepishly as she swung her legs, "The marks have some light in them, and I thought Zeref might be watching and it was better for him to see me attacking you than you accepting the mark willingly."

The mention of his brother made Natsu frown.

"How am I going to hide this from him?" He wondered aloud as he clasped his shoulder.

"Your scales will cover it." Lucy told him, "They'll come back, like before. The mark will only be visible in your human form, but its protection will still be there no mater what."

Its protection. _Her_ protection, in a way. He looked at her as she watched the sun set, the fading light reflected in her eyes. He wished his fingers could create and not destroy, so he could paint the sight before him. A Princess watching the sunset with a monster. She'd be all soft edges and colour, and he'd be cutting and dark.

"Thanks." He told her, barely more than a whisper.

She looked at him from the corners of her eyes. Watching him watching her. Her cheeks turned pink as she smirked.

"You're welcome."

They sat on the lookout point and talked until long after the sun had disappeared. They were a little shy at first, not knowing what to talk about. Both of them laughing when they mentioned the weather. But they soon fell into a comfortable rhythm.

He discovered Lucy liked to read. In her youth, she'd often dreamed of being a writer. He remembered the stories she'd told him about the stars, and told her she'd make a brilliant writer. She smiled at that, so genuine and bright.

In turn, he told her about how he yearned for adventures as a child. How he'd wanted to explore vast lands and find many treasures. At that, she'd joked that of course a dragon would go hunting for gold and he'd laughed, giving her a smile of his own.

A dragon, not a demon.

He liked that.

Eventually Lucy began to yawn as she spoke, and despite how much he enjoyed her company he suggested that it was time for her to return home. She sleepily agreed, making sure that his mark was covered before she took her leave.

He watched her go, and was surprised when she looked back. She paused, her head cocking to the side as though she were contemplating something. He was sure he heard a giggle carry over the wind before she flashed him one more warm smile and left.

The night air brushed against his scales, and without her there, he felt cold.

* * *

 **A/N: More bonding between our precious dorks! Thank you so much for all the views so far, as always. I'm glad you guys are liking how the story is progressing, I hope I don't let you down. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter too!**


	11. Tension

"What is wrong with this stupid thing?!"

Zeref was on the warpath again, and Natsu had yet to even have breakfast.

He walked into their dining chambers to find his brother slapping the surface of the lacrima orb he used to spy on people, the picture nothing more than a grey swirling cloud.

Natsu fought hard to keep the smirk from his face. His Lucy seemed to possess brains as well as beauty.

"Show me The Titania!" Zeref screamed at the orb, but it did not answer his command, "King Makarov! Lord Fullbuster! _Anyone_!"

Zeref screamed at the lacrima until he was red in the face, but no matter which member of the Fairy Tail alliance he demanded to see, the orb showed him nothing. At the finish, Zeref became so enraged that he pushed the orb off its pedestal.

The lacrima shattered, sending pieces of the orb scattering across the floor. The fragments cracked under Zeref's feet as he stormed back to his seat at the head of the table.

Natsu watched it all with a disinterested expression, even when what he really wanted to do was chuckle openly at Lucy's cunning. Instead he merely leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, picking at a large chunk of raw meat that had been served to him on a silver plate.

In truth, he didn't much like the servings of raw meat that Zeref's people prepared for him. He understood that the food they gave him was what they expected a demon to have a taste for, and he couldn't deny how he'd dug in eagerly in the past.

Now though, not so much.

"Where were you last night?" Zeref's curious drawl drew Natsu from his thoughts.

"Hunting," The younger brother replied, "As I told you."

Natsu met his brother's gaze defiantly as his sharp teeth scarped against the bone of whatever carcass had been lain before him.

Zeref narrowed his eyes.

"Was it satisfying? The hunt?"

Natsu thought back to last night. The gentle cadence of Lucy's voice as she spoke softly about her childhood. The colours of the sunset reflected in her brown eyes. The mark now hidden by his scales.

"Very." He replied, and he couldn't help the slight smirk that graced his lips.

Zeref's eyes narrowed further. So much so that he was practically squinting at his brother from across the table. Natsu knew he was walking a dangerous line. This behaviour wasn't like him. For his brother, he was reserved, docile. Tamed.

It had occurred to Natsu that he wasn't much of a person. Not in the sense that he was a demon, not a human, but in the sense that he had no real identity. Who was Natsu Dragneel? For that was who he was. He was not END. He was not the Demon Prince. He didn't _want_ to be those versions of himself.

Around his brother, he was a lap dog. Waiting anxiously for every order. On the battle field, he was rage incarnate. Full of fury and fire. Around his followers, he was bitter and cruel. He varied from one monster, one atrocity to the next.

What had happened to the little boy who died when he went too far looking for treasure? Where had his curiosity gone? His playfulness? There was no room for them in the war, and he missed them. Those parts of him may have been childish, but he had been a child. He had been innocent.

He hadn't asked for this.

His brother had forced it upon him.

"The lacrima is broken." Zeref spoke now.

"I can see that."

Tendrils of darkness snaked across the table as Zeref scowled. They wound their way through the platters of food and the flickering candles. The temperature of the room dropped noticeably.

" _Attitude_ Natsu."

If it ever came down to it, Natsu wasn't sure he could defeat his brother. Moments like this served as a chilling reminder of the true extent of the power Zeref had coiled within him. All he needed was a reason to strike.

Natsu shrunk back in his seat.

"It wasn't showing me anyone," His brother continued, "Not even you hunting last night."

Ah, so his brother _had_ tried to watch him.

"Strange," Natsu gave an exaggerated frown, "I wonder what's wrong with it."

"What indeed." Zeref mumbled.

With a flick of the wrist, Zeref ordered the table be cleared and his work brought to him. Natsu sat in silence as servants filed into the room and placed an assortment of ancient tomes, maps and papers before his brother. All of it pertaining to the war in one way of another.

None of it was presented before Natsu. The younger of the Dragneel brothers had not been made for planning, oh no. The Demon Prince was a weapon. Nothing more. Natsu was used to being treated this way. He didn't doubt that his brother's mind was keener when it came to costs and battle strategies, but the thought occurred to Natsu when the documents were littered on the table.

What did he really know about the war?

What did he know about his brother's plans? His strategies? His goals? Natsu got all his orders no more than 24 hours before a battle, and never once had he questioned it. It was clear that his brother thought things out well in advance, and yet he never let him know his plans until the last minute.

As though sensing his thoughts, Zeref looked up from a particularly interesting piece of parchment and offered him a sinister smile.

"Shouldn't you be busying yourself?" He asked with feigned innocence, "Training perhaps?"

"Training?" Natsu scowled in return.

"You know, honing your skills." Zeref's condescending tone was now brutally obvious, "I'd say they're a bit rusty considering you can't seem to kill one silly little Princess."

Natsu stood, fists clenching at his sides.

He wasn't sure what he was angrier about. The belittling of his strength or the insult to Lucy. He could see it in Zeref's eyes. Zeref _knew_ that he was capable of killing Lucy. His brother was smart. He must already suspect that the Princess was still alive by Natsu's will.

Whatever trust they may have had between then once, it was clear that it was fading from that look in Zeref's eyes. The deceit had begun, but Natsu knew now that it had begun long before he himself had started telling lies.

Their trust was fading.

And fast.

* * *

 **A/N: A lame chapter I know, but Natsu realised some stuff! Wow, so, this is now officially my most popular story! It has the most follows and reviews I've ever gotten and I would just like to say a very big thank you because I am honestly so grateful. Whenever people follow/favourite I am always like 'whaaaat' because I just can't believe it so thank you thank you thank you. You all put a big smile on my face.**

 **Next chapter? Well, things happen next chapter.**

 **Don't forget to review please!**


	12. The Fears Of Traitors

"There you are! I was beginning to wonder if Happy had played a trick on you and told you to go to the swamp or something."

Natsu smiled at Lucy's words as he let the curtain of leaves fall behind him. Their meeting place today was under a large willow tree on a small island in the centre of lake hidden deep within the woods near Magnolia. While it was easy enough for him to fly to this location, it occurred to him that Lucy more than likely would have had to row herself here from the other side of the lake.

It touched his heart that she put so much effort into seeing him.

They'd met often since that first time all those weeks ago when she'd secretly given him Fairy Tail's mark to stop his brothers prying eyes. He enjoyed his time with her immensely, and had quickly grown to trust her completely. She was genuinely his friend.

They avoided all talk of war during their visits. It was an unspoken agreement that they did not bring up the forces that pitted them against each other. That included Natsu's brother. Which made Lucy's gentle inquiry all the more surprising, stopping him in his tracks as he made his way towards her.

"Where does Zeref think you keep disappearing off to?"

He looked at her, confused. It always amazed him how she managed to speak his brother's name without any trace of fear. A feet that, to his knowledge, had never before been achieved by a human. But that wasn't what made him pause this time. She never usually asked that sort of question.

"He doesn't ask, so I don't tell." He answered, "Although it is likely that he notices when I'm gone."

Lucy turned away from him. She sat at the base of the willow tree, her frame seeming even smaller nestled between the trees thick roots. Her boots had been cast aside, as though she'd been strolling in the shallow water before he arrived. Flowers that she'd plucked from the trees vines lay in her lap, her fingers working some of the delicate plants into her hair.

She looked like some sort of forest nymph. Or a pixie that spoke to the trees. He wished she'd change him to his human form so that he could better fit in to the imaginary world he was creating for them in his head. Or even just so he seemed less like a monster. He didn't want to ask her to do it though. Didn't want her to think that was all he wanted her for.

He settled down in front of her, sitting so that his back was to her. With his tail, he took one of the flowers from her lap, inviting her to decorate his hair the same way she'd done her own. He saw her face light up with childish glee when he looked over his shoulder, and made sure to keep his wings out of the way as she repositioned herself.

"What makes you ask?" He inquired once she became immersed in her task.

Natsu was unsurprised to find he liked the feeling of her running her fingers through his hair. It was so satisfying he could purr. His eyes even drifted shut slightly. He'd never had enough self-control to sit still when he was told. He was a man of action. But he'd happily put the world on pause for this.

Lucy's hands stilled before coming to rest on his shoulders.

"I just wonder how long we can go on like this," She sighed, "We are in the middle of a war."

"All wars have to end eventually."

"Yes, but this one has been going on for _years_ Natsu."

Her exasperated tone made him turn to face her, finding her face a picture of furrowed brows and pursed lips. Her brown eyes looked up to see him watching her, and her features softened as she took in the sight of him.

"You look like a forest prince." She mused to herself in barely a whisper, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

As she spoke, he felt her place the last of the flowers on the crook of right horn. How could she look at him so softly? Surely people couldn't look at monsters like that? He bowed his head, keeping his eyes from hers. His feelings for her had grown during their little meetings, and it was times like these where he had to fight hard to keep himself from showing too much affection. He didn't want to scare her away.

"Your people," He began, trying desperately to think about anything else than the urge to rest his forehead against hers, "Fairy Tail. What do they fight for? Why do they fight? Zeref tells me they yearn for our destruction, but he never tells me why."

"I think the war is much different for us now than it was for those who were there at its beginning," Lucy pondered, her face thoughtful, "Back then, people really did want to bring down Zeref. They thought it was wrong that he brought you back from the dead. But I can see why he did it. I would have done the same."

His head snapped up, startled at what she'd just said. But she continued as though she had done nothing more than voice an idle thought. As though she hadn't just instilled the hope in him that perhaps his resurrection wasn't a disaster upon the world. Would she truly have done the same if she had known him then?

"It's horrible to watch those you love die," She continued.

Of course, she was talking about her family, not him. He shouldn't have been so foolish. The death of her family had been a result of his resurrection. Maybe not a direct result, but the Celestial Plains would definitely still be around if not for him. It didn't matter that he hadn't actually been there when his brother killed her mother. It was still is fault.

"But now," She went on explaining as his mind whirled, "People aren't really fighting against Zeref anymore, they're just fighting for what they've lost. Like me for my homeland, and Gray for his father. Erza fights to stop injustice, like a lot of the people who fight in Fairy Tail. They fight for the people. They fight for each other."

And why did he fight? Because he was told. Because he owed his brother his life. He was a monster, what else could he do? He wished he could fight with Fairy Tail, with Lucy, but demons didn't fight for injustice. They fought because that's what they were made to do. To maim and hurt and kill.

To burn cities to the ground.

"And us?" He asked, his voice low as his words aligned him with her enemies. He wanted to sound threatening, to try and scare her away like he should have done long ago. Before she saw the side to him that wasn't really there, that couldn't possibly be there. The side that let a princess of light put flowers in his hair. "What do you think Zeref and his forces fight for?"

He sent a glance to the side and found that her shoulders were set and her face serious. She'd picked up his tone, but there was still no traces of fear in her.

"I think Zeref fights for you. He believes that by winning this war he can keep you alive. He doesn't see that there isn't much of a witch hunt after you anymore." Her eyes never left his as she seemed to build up her nerve, "But Zeref's people? They fight for him out of fear. And our fears make traitors of us all."

Natsu turned to face her once more, making sure his claws audibly scarped against the roots of the tree as he turned. He wished so desperately that she would hear the sound, see the claws, and go running for the hills. He deserved her fear not her friendship. And she deserved some noble prince, not some hellion that pined after her.

"What are you afraid of?" He asked, swiping his tongue across his sharp canines.

"I'm not afraid of you." She told him simply.

And all of his resolve snapped.

He stared at her stunned for a moment before her words hit home and his shoulders slumped in relief. Because as much as he wanted her to hate him for what he'd done, the selfish part of him wanted her to love him more. He knew his attempt to scare her away had been pathetic, and that the break in his resolve would probably scare her more than a flash of teeth. But as the impulse took him, he couldn't resist it.

He surged forward, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to hers without a second thought. When their lips touched, he felt her body tense up and quickly withdrew. Hanging his head to keep her from seeing the pain in his chest reflected in his eyes.

"Lucy," He fumbled for words, "I-I'm so sorry I-"

"No," She stopped him. He was surprised to find a blush coating her cheeks when he gingerly looked up, "You… you just caught me by surprise is all."

She smiled shyly before slowly, ever so slowly, leaning down and touching her lips to his once more. She relaxed into the soft movements of their lips against each other, and he wanted nothing more than to cradle her face in his hands as he kissed her but dared not risk his talons cutting in to her delicate skin. He couldn't help the grin that formed because she was kissing him back, and soon found that Lucy had sprung a smile of her own.

The two of them laughed shyly together as they tried to kiss around their huge smiles.

"I guess this makes me a traitor then." He breathed as they moved closer to each other.

"This scares you?" She asked as her palm cradled his cheek, moving his face closer in order to press another kiss on his lips.

He nodded before letting his mouth answer hers, leaning into her touch and still not daring to touch her back.

Of course this scared him. He had no idea what it meant. And he felt like it had the potential to change everything.

Her lips brushed his as she spoke once more.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope I did their first kiss justice! The next update shall be in a weeks time as opposed to within the next two days, but after that updates will be back to normal! I hope that's okay, it's just that I need to finish the story off before I post more so I can keep the updates regular! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews so far, please let me know what you thought of this chapter too!**


	13. What's Known

In the weeks that past, Natsu found his mind wandering more and more.

He came to resent the time between his meetings with Lucy. Zeref had barely given him any missions lately, so instead Natsu was forced to spend his time confined in their fortress, alternating between training, eating and hunting.

When he did leave the fortress, be it to see Lucy herself or to meet with Happy, he knew his brother noticed. He knew Zeref sensed that he was lying about where he was going. Ever since his brother had lost the ability to spy on him, it hadn't taken Zeref long to abandon all trust completely. There was barely any brotherly love left between them, and Natsu seldom found himself mourning that loss.

Although he did wonder why Zeref had yet to put him in chains, like he used to.

Knowing that it was likely his confinement was drawing near, Natsu spent what little freedom he had wisely.

He showered Lucy with bashful kisses each time her saw her. He craved her touch more than he'd ever craved blood. The way she smiled contentedly each time they pulled apart… it made him restless just thinking about it. It made him desperate to see her again, cursing each minute that took an hour to drag by.

It still shocked him that she _let_ him kiss her. That she kissed him back. She even grew frustrated with him sometimes because he barely touched her. He kept his hands to himself, despite how much he yearned to cup her cheeks, grasp her hips, let his hands wander. But, as he'd told her many times, his hands were made for killing, not caressing.

She'd brought his palm to her cheek once, leaned into his touch. He wanted to graze his thumb over the soft skin of her face, but his claws had looked so sinister pressed that close to her. He'd imagined touching her anyway, and felt bile rise in his throat when he imagined leaving an accidental scratch on her skin.

He would _not_ hurt her.

But he was selfish and greedy, and when tendrils of light had wound their way round his fingers and made his claws fade away he had not protested. He had touched her face, he had pulled her against him, he had let his hands wander. She had been greedy too, but somehow he had managed to stop them from going too far.

It wasn't that he didn't want to lie with Lucy – _gods,_ he'd kill a thousand men for one night with her- but that he didn't want Lucy to lie with a monster. If her allies ever found out, they'd be disgusted, he knew it. Who would ever _willingly_ give themselves to one such as him? It would look barbaric, to be with her as he was. If she changed him, it could be different, but he wouldn't use her like that. Changing him took its toll on her, and she'd already put enough at risk because of him.

All of these thoughts swirled through his mind as he flew.

He was meeting Happy today, at their usual place. Surprisingly, Natsu had grown quite fond of the feline. In truth, Natsu considered Happy a friend.

The cat was easy to get along with. He shared Natsu's mischievous nature and the two of them often found themselves close to falling out of the tree from their laughter. Sometimes he forgot that he hadn't known Happy long, for it seemed that they'd been friends his whole life.

Natsu's smile grew as the tree came into view, his wings picking up their pace. He could make out a speck of blue that emerged from the braches, so instead of landing in the tree, Natsu kept flying.

Happy laughed as he glided over him before using his own feathered wings to fly after him. This was a common occurrence. The two of them loved to race each other through the air. Sometimes they stayed near the ground, seeing who could avoid obstacles better. Other times, they flew so high that they couldn't be seen from the ground, until they grinned at each other and gave in to the pull of gravity, playing chicken with the ground.

Today they kept low. Happy took the lead and Natsu knew he would be leading them to the river. The weather today was great for fishing.

They soared through the trees. Adrenaline took over as Natsu ducked and weaved, trying his best not to collide with a tree. Flying was the only thing Zeref had given him the ability to do that Natsu considered a gift. Flying made him feel free. The feeling of relief it gave him was a close second to the way he felt when he was with Lucy.

In what seemed like no time at all, they reached the river. The two of them settled on the rocks by the water, grinning at each other while they regained their breath.

"You're fast little buddy," Natsu panted, "I'll give you that."

"I always fly fast when there's fish at stake!" Happy chirped back.

Natsu laughed. Happy had a deep rooted passion for fish, but he was a poor fisherman, meaning Natsu had to catch them all for him. He didn't mind though. They were friends after all.

With a splash, Natsu jumped into the river. The fish scattered, but once he straightened himself and let the water churn around his thighs, they hesitantly returned. Happy's little bag pack wasn't big enough for a fishing rod, but Natsu had his own methods.

He waited patiently for his moment to strike, his brows furrowed in concentration.

Happy snickered at him from the rocks.

"Careful not to think too hard Natsu, you might hurt yourself."

"Shut up," Natsu mumbled in return. Just a little bit more…

There!

Natsu struck out with his pointed tail at a brightly coloured fish that had swam too close to his legs. He speared it straight through, a clean kill. Happy applauded from his spot on the rocks.

Grinning, Natsu lifted his tail from the water with the fish still impaled on the end. He detached it and threw it to his friend, who bit into it raw with a grin on his face. Natsu continued fishing as he waited for Happy to pass along Lucy's message.

"Lucy won't be able to see you for a while."

Natsu's tail twitched and he missed the fish he'd been about to impale.

"What? Why?" He sputtered, "Is she alright?"

He could feel his panic rising. He saw Lucy on the battlefield sometimes. He'd even fought her a few times to keep up appearances. She was a valiant fighter, but what if something had happened to her? What if she was hurt?

"She's fine," Happy reassured him, "She's just busy is all."

"Oh."

Natsu tried to fight his feelings of dejection, but he couldn't help it. She was too busy to see him. What if… what if she just didn't _want_ to see him? Maybe she finally saw him for what he truly was.

Happy snickered again.

"You liiiiiiike her." The cat sang.

Natsu huffed a laugh.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Don't worry about it Natsu," Happy smiled at him, "It's only because Juvia's went all Bridezilla on everyone. Lucy's one of her bridesmaids, if she tried to sneak off somewhere a few days before the wedding, you'd never see her again because Juvia would have talked her to death!"

The two of them laughed together at that.

Of course, he should have known. After being betrothed to each other since childhood, this weekend Lord Fullbuster and Juvia of the Rain People were finally to be wed. Everyone in Fiore seemed to be invited. It made sense that Lucy would be busy for the next couple of days.

From what Natsu understood of it, the tale of Gray and Juvia's love was a long and strange one. Their union had been arranged for them, and apparently once Gray was old enough to realise the implications of the arrangement, he had been furious. At first, he'd never wanted to marry Juvia, but his bride to be felt differently. From the moment she set eyes on the young Lord, Juvia was in love. She couldn't wait to marry him, even when he pushed her away.

Natsu didn't know the specifics, but it seemed that after the death of his father, it was Juvia that Gray turned to for comfort. It wasn't long before they began to fight together. The war had actually done them some good, in a way. Gray was all too eager to marry her now. He'd actually fallen for her.

The thought made his lips quirk up slightly. How strange it was, that the war softened their hearts instead of hardened them. Natsu had thought his own heart to be encased in stone, until he'd met Lucy. Light or no light, he would have fallen for her.

If he could find a way, _any_ way at all, to be human for her, he would do it. He didn't know if she had the power to make him human permanently, but even if she did, he would never ask that of her.

In another life, perhaps they could of had a wedding themselves. But as things stood, Lucy walking to him down the aisle would look like a sacrifice. An offering to the devil wrapped in white.

She deserved so much better than that.

Natsu sighed, shaking the thoughts from his head. He caught a few more fish for Happy before leaving the water and offering his goodbyes.

"Fly home safe buddy," Natsu smiled, then hesitated, "And tell Lucy that I… That I…"

"I don't have to you big dumbie," Happy laughed at him, "She knows."

* * *

 **A/N: Sssooo I was meant to have used the past week to work on this to keep updates regular, but I got sick :( I'm also starting uni next week so, if I don't get it finished before then, the time between updates is likely to grow longer. I'm really sorry for any inconvenience but I hope you guys will stick with the story! I'm glad you liked the kiss! Please let me know what you think of this chapter too!**


	14. Brother's Burden

Even if he couldn't see her, Natsu took comfort knowing Lucy was happy.

It was the day of Gray and Juvia's wedding, and Lucy's joy at being a part of the festivities bled into him through his scar. He lay locked in his chambers and let her feelings rush over him, closing his eyes in contentment. He was sure that if he focused hard enough, he could hear her laughing…

A knock at his door startled him from his thoughts.

Natsu grit his teeth, trying his hardest not to let his anger rise so that it would not carry over to Lucy. He did not want his own wild emotions to ruin her day; it was something he'd been very conscious of since she told him how his darkness affected her. Soldiers had even noticed he was no longer as quick to anger as he had once been. They seemed less afraid of him.

"Enter." He called to the door as he sat up in bed, his wings ruffling behind him.

The turn of a key in the door echoed through the dimly lit room before it creaked upon and a guard entered. To Natsu, he was just one of the masses. He didn't recognise this soldier anymore then he recognised one of the stable boys; they were all the same to him. The nameless guard stepped further into the room, wringing his hands nervously as his eyes looked anywhere but at The Demon Prince.

Natsu's own eyes wandered around the room as he waited for the guard to speak. They could furnish his chambers as lavishly as they liked, but there was no denying it. There were no windows, and chains hung from the moss covered stone walls.

It wasn't a room, it was a dungeon.

"Master," The guard finally spoke, "Your brother requests your presence in the library."

Natsu snarled. His brother thought he could summon him like a dog. Well, he could- No. _No._ He couldn't let his anger rise. He wouldn't let his bad temper ruin Lucy's day.

Which meant he could _not_ see Zeref.

"Tell him I'm busy." He ordered the guard before slumping back down onto his bed.

But the guard did not leave. Natsu could hear his agitated heartbeat from across the room. The nervous shuffling of his feet.

"P-Please, Master," The guard stammered, "Your presence is urgently required. Lord Zeref has already destroyed half the library and-"

"What?" Natsu sat up abruptly.

"He is very angry, Master," The guard now looked panicked, "Three guards have already been caught in the crossfire-"

"I'll handle it." Natsu reassured him as he flung off the covers.

The guard nodded in gratitude before leaving, allowing Natsu to dress. He quickly threw on a pair of his usual haram pants and a long red coat that his brother had given him long ago. It was a beautiful piece of clothing, the sleeves lined with gold, and one of the few items he owned that accommodated his wings. His brother always told him that he looked more respectable when he wore it. More like the brother of a ruler. He hoped the sight of it would help to appease him.

Once he was fully clothed, Natsu left the dark confinements of his chamber and made his way through the fortress. The library was on one of the upper floors, and he noticed as he ascended the stairs that the closer he got to the room, the more uneasy the guards looked. Fear hung thick in the air, making him anxious.

The doors of the library came into view and his stomach filled with dread. All the guards had evacuated this corridor, and with good reason. The doors seemed to have been blasted open, the right one hanging by its hinges. Books spilled out into the corridor and he followed their trail like stepping stones.

Inside the library was much worse. Torn pages fluttered through the air as though a storm had passed through the room. There were cracks in the ceiling, and shelves had been emptied by his brother's rage. Zeref himself paced on the other side of the library's large oak desk, his magic flickering around him like black jolts of lightening as he muttered to himself.

"Stars and their power," He was mumbling to himself, "Stupid girl… ruin everything… power, I'll show them power… wasn't enough… destroy her, destroy them all…"

Swallowing his fear, Natsu ignored all the questions his brother's mutterings conjured and made his presence known.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Zeref's pacing stopped abruptly and when he turned to face Natsu his gaze was filled with anger, his shoulders tense with rage, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"What's wrong with _me_ Natsu?" Zeref seethed, "How about what's wrong with _you_?"

Natsu frowned, but his heart leapt to his throat.

"What do you-"

"Where have you been going Natsu? Tell me, please. I'd love to know."

Natsu was sure his heart stopped beating. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. Fear rushed through his veins, so strong that he knew, wherever she was, Lucy would be frightened too. Good. She needed to be. If Zeref knew, their fear might just get them out of this alive.

He was about to spill forth any and all lies that needed to be told. To deny what he'd done, to refute the yearnings of his heart to his brother, but Zeref answered his own question for him.

"I'll tell you where you've been going!" Zeref screamed at him, "You've been _running._ Fleeing from the battles you were made for like a scared little boy."

Natsu waited for his brother to go on. To say where he'd been running _to_. Straight into Lucy's arms, the arms of their enemy. But Zeref didn't go on. He stood, seething, waiting for Natsu to speak. To say something. _Anything._ Which meant…

Zeref didn't know.

Natsu resisted the urge to sigh with relief. Zeref thought he was merely a coward, not a traitor. Lucy was still safe. For now.

"I-I'm sorry," He stuttered, still groping for something to say. It was true, he hadn't been very active in battle lately. He shied away on purpose when he knew Lucy would be there. There was only so many times the two of them could put on a show before someone wondered why either of them had yet to land a killing blow. "The battles are… they bore me. They aren't what they used to be."

"Tsk. They ' _bore_ ' you. Don't lie to me Natsu!" Zeref scowled, "You do no battle because it is no longer in your nature to fight. Say it."

"I… I suppose it's true."

Over their many years together, Natsu had learned quite a few things about his brother. He'd learned how Zeref's mind worked. One of the most noticeable aspects of his brother's personality was that Zeref was smart, and as a result, he liked to be right. _Always_ right.

Natsu was not about to deny him that pleasure.

Letting Zeref follow his assumptions led him further from the truth, and the truth was something that Natsu longed to keep hidden for as long as he could.

"Do you ever wonder why that is brother?" Zeref's voice was low, "Do you ever wonder where that bloodlust has gone?"

He tried to hold his tongue but it was no use.

"Actually, I wonder why it was there in the first place."

A blast of black magic was sent straight to his chest, but he dodged it at the last second.

One of the strongest feelings that passed through the bond was pain, after all.

Zeref was furious now. He kept firing and firing at Natsu, but he missed each time. Normally, Natsu would let his brother strike him down. It was easier to let his rage run its course. But these days, Natsu had a reason not to subject himself to the pain.

He could only dodge so many times however. His brother howled in rage and sent a succession of blasts flying at him, one catching him on his left shoulder and sending him crashing into the bookshelf behind him.

"Do not pretend you have ever been less than what you are!" Zeref screamed as the books toppled down around Natsu, "You were a wolf in sheep's clothing before you died. I merely made your body reflect your soul when I resurrected you."

Natsu sat panting as his brothers words washed over him. He remembered being a child. A _child,_ not a monster. He had been young and innocent; he hadn't killed so much as a fly. How could Zeref say he had been a monster, even then?

Wait. He knew why.

"It is by my magic that your heart beats," Zeref continued, his voice still raised, "It is by my magic that you are the demon you were born to be. The monster we need. To win the war. And now all that you are is being stripped away, piece by piece, by some- some… _girl._ "

Natsu managed to stand just as his brother finished talking and let out another howl of rage. He brought down a fist on the oak desk, shattering it in two. The raw display of power made Natsu gulp, and he almost forgot Zeref's closing statement.

"Wait," Natsu frowned as he clutched his shoulder, "What does Lucy have to do with this?"

Zeref didn't notice his lack of formalities, he merely scowled at the mention of Lucy as he always did. With a motion of his hand, his dark swirls of magic picked up an old tome from the remnants of the desk and slammed it into the wall beside Natsu's head. The pages turned as though a gale blew through them before stopping abruptly on a page cluttered with strange pictures and writing.

"See for yourself." Zeref gestured to the book.

Natsu turned his attention to the aged pages. The notes were written in an ancient language that he was not well versed in. Even with the strange diagrams- a drawing of two people underneath a series of dots- it was difficult to translate.

"I don't understand," Natsu squinted at the book as he tried to decipher the passages meaning, "Is this a ritual?"

"It's a transference of power." Zeref explained.

Even before his brother went into further detail, it all clicked into place in Natsu's mind. The dots weren't dots, but stars. Constellations. Crudely drawn arrows pointed from the stars, to the first figure, to the second. The second figure was surrounded by fire.

"The people of the Celestial Plains worshipped the stars," Zeref told him from where he leant against the shattered desk, "They believed that a long time ago, the heavens gave them power to vanquish the darkness from their lands. The power could be given to anyone that trusted in the stars, not just the royals, they claimed. I thought it was just a legend, but it was best to destroy them anyway."

Zeref had slaughtered all of Lucy's people, butchered her homeland, on a myth he didn't even think was true. Natsu would have been filled with rage if his shock had left any room inside him for such emotions.

"The power the stars bestowed could kill demons," He continued, "I could not let them regain that power. But that book, it says the stars can do much more than kill demons. They can use their descendants- as they call the people of the Celestial Plains- as a vessel for their magic, a channel for their light to work through. To banish all darkness from a soul."

Natsu's claws dug into his skin as he clenched his fist at his side, trying to keep his breathing even. He could hear Zeref moving closer, he needed his reaction to look anything but hopeful.

"Princess Lucy can make you human again," Zeref all but whispered as he came to stand beside him, the two of them gazing at the tome that was still suspended against the wall, "In fact, I think she's already started the process."

From the corner of his eye, Natsu noticed Zeref's gaze fix itself on the scar at his neck. It was clear his brother considered it to be more than it was. A constant supply of light seeping into his veins instead of just a one-time infusion.

"What makes you think she would change me?" Natsu asked, even though he knew she would, if she had the knowledge, "Wouldn't it be easier to kill me instead?"

"How many people have tried to take you from me Natsu?" Zeref smiled, "Makarov. The Titania. Two generations of Fullbuster's. Death himself. Princess Heartfilia knows you will not be sent to hell so easily. If she can't condemn you, she'll redeem you."

It startled him, how much Zeref's words sounded like something Lucy would do. Despite being in the middle of a war, Lucy had few enemies, and she was a firm believer in second chances. She'd told him once of a girl she'd fought against. Her opponent had tortured her and Lucy had still shown her kindness when she'd discovered her superiors beat her.

The girl fought for Lucy now.

Where his nature was meant to be killing, Lucy's was kindness. She had a pure heart. It was easy to see why the stars deemed her worthy to wield their power.

"I don't think she _can_ kill you Natsu. It's not in her nature." Zeref echoed his thoughts as a sinister smile crossed his lips, "Which gives us ample opportunity to kill _her_. We need her dead Natsu. If she lives, you'll be a human again, and we can't have that. We need you a monster for this war."

"And what about after the war?" Natsu asked as his brother turned away from him.

"The war will make this land hell," Zeref laughed, "Who better to rule hell than The Demon Prince?"

A pain flared in his chest as Natsu fought to keep tears from his eyes. There was no life for him after the war, it didn't matter who won.

"We'll build you a throne from the bones of Fairy Tail," Zeref was chuckling to himself now, "Makarov's skull would make an excellent-"

"I can't do it." Natsu interrupted him, "I can't kill Princess Lucy."

The pages of the books scattered across the floor rippled after the words left him, and Natsu turned to see his brother standing with his back to him, fists clenching at his sides.

"Oh, I know," Zeref's voice was low.

When he finally turned to face Natsu, his eyes were red and a manic grin split his features. Natsu backed away at the sight, causing his brothers eyes to flash with vicious glee. His voice seemed to echo with his barely contained power when he spoke once more.

"But I can."

* * *

 **A/N: Ooooo what will happen next?! I move out on saturday and I'm so nervous omg. Hopefully I'll find time to write once I get settled in. Thank you so much for all your reviews so far, I am super happy people are liking this story. I hope you liked this chapter too; be sure to let me know what you think!**


	15. The Demons Wish

It was alarmingly easy to sneak into Fairy Tail.

He couldn't help himself. He'd flown straight to Magnolia as soon as he managed to get away from Zeref. He knew he was putting himself in danger, putting _Lucy_ in danger. But he was desperate to see her. She needed to know what Zeref had vowed to do. It couldn't wait a few more days.

The festivities were in full swing. Makarov's castle lit up the night as hundreds celebrated the union of Gray and Juvia. Behind the castle was a vast and luscious garden, and it was here that Natsu landed in order to find Lucy. He'd flown fast so as not to be sighted, and now he kept to the shadows as he creeped through the garden.

Laughter and merriment drifted through the air the closer he got to the festivities. The trees eventually gave way to a vast array of flower bushes, which in turn led out to an open plaza of sorts. A few people milled about the fountains here. It seemed they'd wandered outside in order to get away from the music and dancing that was taking place in the ballroom of the palace. The music could still be heard outside, but it was quieter.

Natsu remained crouched behind the line of bushes, moving every so often to avoid the guard patrols but always remaining out of sight. He watched through the gaps in the leaves hoping to spot Lucy as he desperately thought of a way to get her attention without alerting anyone else to his presence.

He was just starting to think that he would be merciful if even Happy came outside when Lucy emerged from the large glass doors of the ballroom and onto one of the small balconies that outlined the walls of the castle.

But she wasn't alone.

She was laughing when she emerged, which made her look all the more beautiful to him. Her bridesmaid dress was a pale blue gown that looked floaty and elegant, the material ending at her knees in the front, but her ankles at the back. She teetered about on matching blue heels, and her face was a little red from laughing. Her hair was braided and lay over her shoulder, just covering her scar.

Her companion laughed with her. It was a man, taller than her and regal looking. He was dressed for the occasion, sporting a snug black tux that looked as though it cost a fortune. Despite the proper appearance of his dress however, his orange hair was wild. It reminded Natsu of a lion's mane.

"I thought you were meant to protect me!" Lucy chastised the man, but she was still laughing.

"You're always saying you don't need me to protect you." The man smiled back.

"He _groped_ me, Loke!" Lucy hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

"He's the king! What was I meant to do?" The man- Loke- snickered before his tone grew softer, "Besides, who can blame him? You look beautiful tonight."

Lucy blushed.

"That's sweet of you to say."

Natsu watched, his claws digging into the dirt, as Loke stepped forward and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Lucy's ear. He felt the pang of jealousy stab through him too late to guard against it.

Lucy backed away from Loke with a shy smile, but flinched when the jealousy hit her. Her hands wandered to her neck as she looked out to the garden. She knew he was here. He hoped she could spot him in the darkness.

"What's the matter Princess?" Loke asked, reaching out a hand to turn Lucy to face him. He frowned when he looked into her eyes, as if he saw something he didn't like, "It's that poison again isn't it?" His tone was angry, "That foul demon."

"Don't call him that!" Lucy shouted at him, pushing him away harshly.

"Why not?" Loke asked, genuinely confused, "It's what he is. He is our enemy. We must find a way to cure his poison, Lucy. We both know that the armour-"

"Enough!" Lucy screamed at him. Other people that had wandered outside turned at her outburst, but Lucy ignored them all. She looked up at the stars for a moment before closing her eyes and sighing. Quieter, she told him: "Leave me. Just- Please, Loke. Leave me in peace. If only for a moment."

Natsu regretted the surge of jealousy he'd felt earlier when he saw the way Loke looked at her. The man looked genuinely concerned, his face etched with the lines of worry. Here was someone Lucy deserved, Natsu thought. Yes, he cared about her just as much as Loke seemed to, but… well, Loke was on her side of the war. And Natsu wasn't.

Whatever position Lucy held within the ranks of Fairy Tail, it was clearly a high one. The other stragglers, having heard her order to Loke, also retreated back inside. Leaving Lucy alone on the balcony.

The second the last of the guests closed the door behind them, she darted away from the balcony. Natsu fought hard not to run to her as she kicked off her shoes at the top of the steps before dashing over to the bushes at the edge of the light. She checked over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking before she joined him in his hiding spot.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered franticly as she crouched before him, cupping his face in her hands, "This is dangerous and reckless and-"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," He whispered back, leaning his forehead against her own as he confessed, "I just- I needed to see you. I couldn't wait."

Lucy smiled at him softly before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"We can't stay here." She told him.

Natsu nodded, but Lucy didn't wait for his reply as she took his hand in hers and pulled him through the gardens. He followed Lucy blindly, keeping low as she did. They had to stop every now and then and allow for patrols to pass, the two of them sharing grins as though they were children about to run away from home together. Maybe they were.

He had no idea where she was leading him, and his confusion only grew when she pulled him past the tree line. He understood that there was no danger of guards running in to them out here but… _where were they going?_

When he asked her as much, she laughed.

"I know a place." Was all she said.

At some point during their journey his eyes wandered to his hand in hers. Lucy's hand was so small and pale. Her bones could easily be crushed between his own clawed fingers. The thought made him hesitant to hold on, but he kept their palms pressed together. He would be gentle. For her. Only ever for her.

Eventually, they came into a clearing, but Lucy still didn't stop. She pulled him towards a large tree on the opposite side of the clearing, and then… _down._

There was a hole in the trees roots. The opening of an underground passage. Natsu wasn't one for enclosed spaces, but he trusted her. Even when she led him down into the darkness. He raised his free hand and ignited a small flame in his palm. Lucy turned at the sudden source of light, eyes wide. She looked from the flames to his face and gave his hand a soft squeeze before continuing to pull him down the tunnel.

They walked for a short while until a soft light came into view at the end of the tunnel. Lucy's pace slowed. She turned to Natsu, her smile bright, and gestured for him to douse his flames. He shot her a curious look but complied, before letting her gently shove him forward into the light.

It took his breath away.

Lucy had brought him to an underground cavern of sorts. The light that glowed a soft blue seemed to come from the rocks themselves, and reflected off the surface of a small pool on the far side of the room. He had no idea how far they were underground, but the ceiling of the cavern was high. Tree roots hung down from above, and little fireflies flitted through them like shooting stars. The way they'd come in seemed to be the only entrance.

"How… How did you find this place?" He breathed.

"Juvia showed it to me." She told him as she moved round him. He knew she was watching his face as the room captivated him, "Gray used to bring her here a lot but… I don't think they'll be coming here tonight."

He looked down to find a light blush on her cheeks. He smiled at her mischievously, which caused the colour to deepen and her to turn away shyly.

"It's amazing." He admitted as he watched her look up at him through thick lashes.

He sucked in a breath as her fingers found the opening of his coat, playing with the fabric nervously. He'd almost forgotten he had it on. He hadn't bothered to cast it away before he flew to Fairy Tail.

"What's this for?" She tugged at the fabric, "Did you figure out that it's best to be dressed for a wedding?"

"Actually, I figured it would be a miracle if anyone showed up with clothes on for _that_ wedding," Natsu smirked, "Considering the groom is a stripper."

Lucy laughed, the sound doing funny things to his heart. With her hold on his coat she pulled him closer. He settled his hands gently on her waist as she stood on the tip-toes of her dirtied feet. Their noses brushed as he leaned down towards her.

"I missed you." She whispered just before their lips touched.

He let his own lips answer the sentiment. It was ridiculous, really. It had only been a few days since they'd seen each other. A week at most. But he had missed her too. _Gods,_ had he missed her. Her lips were soft as they moulded against his own. When she drew back slightly for breath, he continued his ministrations, trailing a path of kisses along her jaw.

"Natsu, I was worried," She whispered, making him pause his path by her ear, their cheeks resting against each other. His scales must feel rough against her skin, he thought. "I felt it today. Your fear. Pain. What happened?"

His thoughts flashed back to the reason he'd come. Zeref had sworn he would kill Lucy. To keep Natsu a monster. To prevent him from ever becoming human again.

He thought about telling Lucy of the ritual they had discovered. The means of transferring her power. But he couldn't do it. He knew that if he told her, she would try. She'd use up her light just to keep him from hating himself.

The two of them were the weights that would tip the scales of the war. Their power was great. Gifts given to them by higher powers. Gifts that kept them apart, pitted them against each other. Gifts, in Natsu's case, that had grown to be a curse. By the end of the war, one of them would be dead.

And he would not let it be Lucy.

"Natsu, are you alright?" Her voice brought him back to reality.

"Zeref," He told her without moving, whispering it into her ear, "I thought he'd figured it out, where I'd been going. That's why I was afraid. I thought he knew about us."

"And the pain?" Her voice shook as her hands fisted in the fabric of his coat.

"He struck me." Natsu flinched at the memory, "He was angry at me. He hates how I've changed."

Lucy drew back. Her eyes shone with unshed tears but her gaze was still strong. It pulled at his heart, how she looked at him. It was like she didn't see the horns and the scales. Just him.

"I'm sorry Natsu. This is my fau-"

"No." He cut her off, "None of this is your fault Lucy. It's mine."

He pulled away from her, stumbling back out of her reach. There was a reason he came here and it was about time he got down to it. There was a way to fix this. To fix all of it.

"I'm not strong enough," He continued, "I'm not strong enough to defeat Zeref on my own. I'm not strong enough to change on my own. I can't follow orders, I can't change sides. I'm useless. I didn't want to kill you then, Lucy, and I can't do it now so-"

"Natsu, you're not alone," She took a step towards him, but he took a step back, "You have me. I-"

"Lucy, _listen_ ," He begged, "You're so strong. Fairy Tail needs you, everyone knows it. Even Zeref. That's why he-"

"No."

"-He's sworn to kill you Lucy. Because I couldn't do it."

"No." She was shaking her head frantically, her breaths uneven.

"You can't let him win, Lucy. And I won't let you die. You have to-"

" _No_."

"-You have to kill me Lucy. Before he can kill you."

It was as though all sound had stopped. With the words spoken, Lucy stared at him in shock. To his ears, her pounding heartbeat echoed throughout the cavern. Her face had lost all colour. She looked sick.

"With me dead, you'll win the war." He continued in a soft voice, gently trying to persuade her, "With me dead, I know- I just _know-_ whatever darkness is inside of you will die with me. You'll be cured. You'll be-"

"Alone." Her firm voice cut him off, "I'd be alone, with no reason to fight. How could you ask this of me? I could _never._ I couldn't kill you when I hated you, Natsu. What makes you think I could do it now that I love you?"

The world stopped turning.

Natsu stopped breathing. His heart stopped beating.

Lucy's eyes widened when she realised what she'd said, but her gaze didn't waver. Even when he stood there in shock.

 _Now that I love you._

She… she loved him.

 _Him._ The demon, the killer, the monster. _Him._ Natsu Dragneel, enemy of Fairy Tail, brother of Zeref. Lucy Heartfilia was in love with him. A resurrected boy with dark eyes and fire in his heart.

"I have half a mind to kill you just for asking." Lucy half-heartedly joked, but it was weak. He suspected she'd done it just to break the silence.

"Someone has to do it Lucy," He spoke aloud the thoughts as they came to him, "Someone has to kill me for you to win the war."

Lucy started to shake her head again, this time not able to keep her tears from falling. It hurt to see her this way, but she needed to know the truth. He should have died a long time ago, when he was meant to. She would be free of all her pain if only his brother had lain him to rest.

"You'd be doing me a favour," He tried to tell her but his voice cracked. He sucked in a breath and continued anyway, "Zeref wants to keep me a monster, but I don't want that. I never did. I'm _meant_ to be dead. There's no place for me, no matter who wins the war."

Lucy remained silent as the tears streamed down her face. Her shoulders shook with the effort to contain her sobs. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her. But he couldn't. He couldn't make what she had to do harder for her, and showing his feelings through soft touches was not going to get her to warm to the idea of murdering him.

"I had a dream, a few nights ago," Her small voice broke the silence, her eyes found his, "The war was over. It was spring. I was in this little cottage, by a lake. My garden was filled with flowers, and in the dream I remember thinking that it would have been perfect, but something was missing, and then… and then you were there. And it was."

How many times had he dreamed something similar? A life with her was all he wanted. Wherever she went after the war, he would follow, if he could. He could picture her dream. He'd build the cottage himself if he had to. Give it a thatched roof and flower baskets on the windows. Somewhere far away from here. But… demons didn't live in cosy cottages.

"Was I human?"

"You were you." She took a step towards him and this time he didn't back away, "I didn't notice if you had wings, or scales, or any of that. I think maybe sometimes you did, and sometimes you didn't. I didn't care. It was perfect either way."

Her eyes were so full of love. So warm and tender. She was the only one in the world that had ever looked at him like that.

He almost couldn't stand it.

"I killed my mother." He told her.

It was his last attempt at persuasion. Of all the things about him that should repulse her, this was one that would shake her to her core. One she couldn't ignore. Surely. The words shocked her. She'd been reaching to him, but at his statement her hand fell. Her mouth tried to form words, but nothing came out.

"It's why Zeref says I was a monster before he made me look like one," He explained, "I killed her. He never forgave me for that."

"H-How…?" Lucy managed to get out.

"She died in childbirth. Zeref used to tell me about it a lot, before I died. When I was a kid." He grimaced at the memory, "He said there was so much blood. That I tore her apart on the way out. She died screaming. In pain. Because of me."

Lucy looked up at him. Her face was etched with sorrow, but her eyes… still love. Clouded perhaps, by sadness and shock, but still undoubtedly there. It hadn't mattered, what he'd told her.

She was never going to kill him.

Emotions churned within him. He knew this meant he would have to do it himself, but he was struck for the moment by how much he loved her. How much she loved him. He hated himself for ever asking, but he knew he'd had too. He also knew that if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't have done it either. She could have killed twice as many people as he had, but if he loved her as he did now he could never have done it.

His clawed fingers brushed against the scar on his neck she'd given him. What a strange bond they shared. If this was Fate's design then he had some gods to thank if he ever managed to stay dead. Whatever sins he was guilty of, whatever crimes he'd committed, his monstrous life had led him to her. And for that, he was grateful. He'd burn in hell while she danced with the stars, but at least he'd gotten the chance to love her.

He didn't want to die. He had _never_ wanted to die. He didn't want to do this to Lucy. To leave her alone. But what other way was there? He couldn't let her give up so much just to change him. Especially when it was likely doing so would get her killed in the process. He trusted the people of Fairy Tail to protect her, even if he didn't know them. His sacrifice… it would be for the best.

His claws drew blood from his neck.

Lucy watched him as his claws tore against his skin. He saw the horror fill her eyes, and he… he couldn't do it. It was selfish and stupid but he _couldn't_ do that to her. He knew he had to die eventually for the war to end, but for now? For now they'd continue as they had been. Meeting in secret and pretending the war was all a bad dream.

She looked relieved when his hand fell, and gave him only a second before she dashed forward and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. She was shaking.

"Call me an idiot," He laughed bitterly, "But I'll keep pretending as long as you want to."

They were being naive and they both knew it. But what other choice did they have?

"I'm not pretending," She squeezed him tighter, "The war is real, it's happening. But this is too. We… we'll figure it out. Nobody else has to die."

"Someone has too," He ground out, thinking of Zeref, "Better it be a monster than-"

Lucy pulled away from him and he knew what she was going to do even before she did it. The breath was knocked out of him when her hand came to rest on his chest. Her magic raced through him, banishing all his demonic features. It felt much the same as it had the first time. A blinding light overtaking his vision and a searing pain spreading through his veins.

When it was over, he collapsed to the ground. His body ached as he struggled to push himself up onto his elbows.

Lucy fell to the floor before him.

"You're not- a monster." She gasped.

Her eyes found his before they glazed over and the tremors took her as they had all those weeks ago in the northern forests. Her hair had fallen out of place, giving him full view of the black veins that bloomed out from her scar.

He pulled himself to her side before reaching out and gently trailing his fingers over the black lines. They moved more slowly this time, but they still obeyed his will. As he pulled the poison back to her scar, her tremors eased and her eyes regained their usual clarity. His fingertips grazed just below her collarbone when the poison began to resist him.

His brow furrowed. He moved himself closer to Lucy and tried again, but the veins were still there. They wouldn't move. Her scar remained stained with whatever was inside of her.

Lucy watched him with sorrowful eyes as he continued to trail his fingers up and down the marks. She looked so calm, but Natsu was… afraid. Why weren't they fading?

"Natsu," Lucy's touch and soft voice brought him out of his reverie as she intertwined her fingers with his hand that grazed her skin, "It's alright."

Natsu groaned.

"What part of this is alright?"

He drew away from her and pushed himself up into a sitting position. The floor of the cavern was jagged slightly, but not completely uncomfortable. Despite the pool, the rocks were dry. Behind him, he heard Lucy shift.

Her chest pressed against his back through the fabric of their clothes as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Wisps of her hair tickled his now scale-less cheek as she whispered in his ear.

"Us." Her warm breath fanned against his skin, "We're going to be just fine."

A slight smile graced his features at her optimism. He closed his eyes and focused on her touch. One of her hands had wandered beneath his coat and skimmed the skin above his heart. His own hands found hers. He untangled her arms from around him before he turned.

He'd always liked looking at her. Watching her. It was one of his simplest pleasures in life. It was even better when she knew he was looking, but pretended she didn't notice. She'd try to hide her habits- like the way she always bit her lip when she concentrated, or the furrow she got in her brow when she was thinking too much. But more than anything, he liked looking at her when she was looking at him.

Sometimes he still thought he was imagining that look in her eyes. The one just for him.

His gaze drifted from her face to her scar. The veins. It looked so awful against her pale skin. His biggest regret painted where all could see it.

Resting on his knees, Natsu leaned towards her. His right hand cupped her cheek, and when she leaned into his touch he brought himself closer. Lucy took in a shaky breath as he slowly moved in, shivering when his lips brushed against her scar.

"I'm sorry." He breathed against her skin.

Usually, whenever he said it- and he'd said it many times- she'd frown and tell him he had nothing to be sorry for. Or that he needed to stop apologising. The past was the past. But now, she said something different.

"I know."

Her words were barely a whisper, but something changed deep inside of him as the words passed her lips. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the change seemed to make him braver. In that one moment, he had so many desires. To make up for what he'd done, to change the tides of the war.

To make Lucy understand how much he truly loved her.

He placed another kiss against her scar. And then another just above it. He placed feather light kisses up her neck, along her jaw. He would have continued the trail across her cheek but Lucy turned to him then and brought her lips to meet his own. She kissed him with so much heat that it took him by surprise.

Their mouths clashed together. The need for air was replaced by the need to feel her lips against his own. Lucy's hands grazed his stomach, tentative fingers wandering upwards to splay themselves across his bare chest before she lifted the fabric of his coat from his shoulders.

Natsu stopped his hands from roaming for a moment to let the garment fall down his arms, landing with a soft thud. Lucy took the opportunity to pull on his lower lip with her teeth, letting her hands tug gently at the hair on the nape of his neck as she did so. Her actions stocked the slowly growing ache within him, and he suppressed a growl. Choosing instead to grab her waist and pull her closer.

"Unzip me." She gasped against his lips.

Natsu drew back slightly. His half-lidded gaze took in the sight of her swollen lips and heated eyes. It made it hard for him to form coherent thoughts.

"What?"

"My dress," She clarified, voice slightly husky, "Take it off."

His eyes widened.

"A-Are you sure?"

Lucy blushed as he stuttered out the words, but she nodded. She leaned up and kissed him again, their lips moulding together slowly. She tasted sweet, just like her blood all those months ago. But this taste he found so much more intoxicating. Both of them poured all their longing into the kiss.

"It unzips at the back." She whispered to him when she finally pulled away.

They both stood, and then she turned to give him better access, watching him hesitate over her shoulder. His eyes found hers and he saw his own want mirrored in her wide chocolate eyes. Everything he seemed to crave- her lips on his, their bodies pressed against each other, his hands conveying all the things he couldn't form words to say as they roamed over her delicate skin- she seemed to crave it too.

Natsu stepped forward and took the zip between his trembling fingers. He was close enough that his breath stirred the lose hairs of her braid, and close enough to see the goose-bumps that rose across her shoulders as his breath fanned her skin. Gently, he pulled the zipper down. The blue material parted to reveal smooth, pale skin that looked so delectable in the soft glow of the cavern walls. He yearned to touch it.

When the zipper reached as far down as it would go, Lucy let the dress fall to the ground just as he had done with his coat. Her gown had accommodated her assets perfectly, so without it, she was left bare. Nothing but the material of his trousers and her thin slip of underwear were between them when he pulled her closer, pressing his chest to her back.

Lucy leaned her head back onto his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. He breathed her name against the nape of her neck as one hand wandered across her stomach, the other cupping her left breast.

He had wanted to do this for so long.

Her lips parted and released a small gasp as the fingers of his left hand ghosted over her nipple, the other wandering below her naval slowly.

"When you touch me," Her voice was thick with emotion and… something else, "It feels like fire."

A small flickering of panic passed through him. He pulled away from her, looking at his hands in confusion. Did they still singe without the fire?

Lucy's small giggle distracted him from his train of thought. When he looked up, she had turned to face him, and his gaze couldn't help but linger on her supple breasts that were now bare before him. In the light, she looked ethereal. He felt unworthy, but her soft smile when she took his hands in hers and placed them on her waist reassured him.

He felt himself twitch with want as her generous chest pressed against his own. Her skin was warm against his own as she pressed them together, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, her fingers tangling in his hair.

"It's okay," she told him. He watched as colour painted her cheeks and her eyes filled with lust, "It's the best kind of burn."

It astonished him to no end that he could make her feel this way. That she would want him like this. At all. He didn't have the restraint to hold himself back anymore. He'd wanted this for a while. This new kind of hunger. They both had.

Their lips found each other's again. Natsu let his hands trail around her, squeezing the cheeks of her luscious behind as he kissed her deeply. His teeth grazed her lower lip as he hooked his fingers in her underwear. He began to pull them down, trailing kisses down her body as he kneeled in front of her. Letting her last article of clothing fall to her feet, his hands skimmed back up the backs of her thighs before palming her ass once more. The feel of it spilling between his fingers was like heaven.

When he placed an open mouthed kiss against her hip bone, Lucy let out the most delicate whimper. He looked up as he nibbled gently on her skin, and found her standing above him with her eyes closed, absorbed in the feeling of his ministrations. Her head lolled backwards and she sighed when his tongue danced across her skin.

"Natsu…"

This time, he couldn't hold back the growl. His name on her lips stoked his desire. Without his previous care, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down. She gasped slightly as she straddled him, and for a moment he was afraid he'd been too aggressive with his actions. But then he saw it. Just before she kissed him. This devilish, mischievous, _smirk._ So similar to his own when he thought of a good trick to play.

With a boldness he hadn't known she possessed, Lucy's hands skimmed down his chest before reaching down between them and slipping her hand beneath the hem of his pants. She placed a delicate kiss to the corner of his mouth as a shaky breath left him. The result of her slender fingers wrapping around his length.

"Luce…" He breathed out.

He let his head fall forward and rest against her collarbone as the movements of her hand sent electricity racing through his blood. She squeezed him gently when she reached his base before stroking him once more. Repeating the motions as his heart raced.

He was so absorbed in the way she was handling him that it took him a moment to realise that with her other hand, Lucy was gently pushing him back. Trying to get him to lie down while she pleasured him. She was fulfilling his want while he neglected hers.

With this realisation, Natsu surged forward, wrapping his arms around her back as he lowered his head. He began to nibble at the skin above her breasts, hissing when his actions caused her to squeeze a little tighter. His teeth grazed her skin of her left breast before he turned his attention to her nipple.

She gasped when his tongue flicked over the pink bud, the sound turning into a moan when he took it lightly between his teeth.

The sound was delicious and satisfying. He was sure it would fuel his desires for the rest of his life. He wanted to hear it again. He wanted to hear the sound mixed with his name.

Still with his arms around her, he lifted her up. In his haste to lay her on her back he stumbled slightly, causing him to almost drop her. Lucy let go of him when her back hit the ground and he fumbled not to fall on top of her.

She laughed. Her eyes lit up and the sound was full of genuine happiness. Her moans were one thing, but this? This had been his favourite sound for many months.

Natsu wasn't embarrassed. He laughed with her. He knelt there for a moment as their laughter trailed off, basking in the sight of her naked before him. She was so beautiful. And by some miracle, she was his.

Lucy's own gaze deepened from mirth to desire as she watched him remove his pants. She brought a hand to her lip, biting her nails almost coyly as she broke his gaze. Her eyes wandered down, inspecting his bare chest. Widening when they settled on what her hand had previously been wrapped around.

Natsu chuckled low in his chest. Her eyes found his again.

"You'll do." She smirked, watching him as she shuffled her hips and spread her legs a little wider.

Natsu licked his lips before lowering himself down to rest above her. He took her hand away from her face as he settled himself between her legs. But not inside her. Not yet.

"I'll do, will I?" He smirked in a low voice, "And what, exactly, will I do?"

The hand on her wrist now played with her fingers, his other brushing stray strands of hair from her face as he leaned in closer. Lucy was watching his lips as he leaned down. When their noses brushed, she met his gaze and whispered:

"Anything you want."

* * *

 **A/N: I just got back from a UV party HOLY SHIT. Living it up at uni rn so I'm sorry for forgetting to update! Please let me know what you think of this chapter, it's my first attempt at smut like ever. Thanks for all the reviews so far, please keep them coming!**


	16. Love & Loss

***warning* potentially triggering themes this chapter**

* * *

Natsu's breathing faltered.

 _Anything you want._

He wasn't sure what he wanted. Well, he knew he wanted _her,_ but he was… inexperienced in these matters. He wanted to hear her make those sounds again. The moans and the breathy gasps. But he wasn't quite sure how he should go about obtaining them.

"Anything?" He had meant to make it sound low and husky, but instead his voice seemed tinged with childish wonder.

Lucy smiled at him again before closing what little space remained between their lips and kissing him softly. As the kiss quickly heated, Lucy took his hand that had been soothing back her hair, her palm lying flat against the back of his hand. She guided it down her body, letting him pause for moment over her right breast, humming against him in pleasure as he lightly pinched her nipple.

With her fingers overlapping his own, she guided his hand lower and lower, skimming over her hip bone before coming to a rest at the heat between her thighs. Lucy's lips stilled as she focused on guiding him, but he kissed her anyway. Inhaling her gasp when he followed her unspoken suggestion and slipped a finger inside of her.

Her back arched slightly as he marvelled at the feel of her, so warm and wet. He trailed his scorching kisses down her neck as her hand silently encouraged him. He inserted another finger and began to move them experimentally. Lucy responded to every pump of his fingers, some more than others. As he slowly learned how to win more of those delicious sounds from her, her hand stopped guiding his own. Instead she grasped at the muscles on his back.

When his fingers pressed into a curiously sensitive part of her, Lucy cried out. The sound surprised and delighted him. It made him raise his head to look at her as he himself twitched with desire. He grazed his fingers against the spot again, watching as Lucy arched her back and closed her eyes in pleasure. Her chest heaved as she gasped, his eyes focusing on the movement and the marks he'd left on her skin.

Following an instinct that the sight of her so enthralled in lust had awoken in him, Natsu withdrew his fingers. Lucy opened her eyes. She seemed slightly disappointed, but her gaze quickly grew heated again when he pressed a kiss between her breasts, beginning a new trail down her body.

The lower he trailed the kisses, the quicker her breathing became. When he reached just below her navel, Natsu lifted her legs and slung them over his shoulders, shooting her a mischievous smirk before continuing his trail.

Clasping her hips, Natsu placed a wet kiss just beside her heat, causing a strangled gasp to echo through the cavern. Slowly, he placed kisses closer and closer to Lucy's centre until he was beginning to have difficulty keeping her still. Lifting his eyes, Natsu watched Lucy's expression as he finally took the little nub of skin into his mouth that Lucy's hips had seemed to be pushing him towards. She cried out again, much to his satisfaction. Her hands pulled at his hair while her hips bucked. He pressed them down, chuckling to himself before he let his tongue roam her inside her once more.

Never in his life had he thought he would be able to do this to her. To make her body shake with desire and not fear. It was glorious. A new flower of pride bloomed in his chest at every noise that escaped her.

When he let his right hand roam up her body as his tongue pleasured her, Lucy used the hold on his hair to press his face closer to her. His thumb brushed over her nipple as he let her breast spill between his fingers.

" _Natsu._ " Her voice was breathy, desperate.

He looked up from her centre to see her gazing down at him. Her eyes yearning, _begging_ him for release.

She pulled at his hair trying to get his mouth to roam up her body once more, back to her lips. He swiped the back of his hand across his chin as she unwrapped her legs from around his head. The action seemed to stir something within Lucy as she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him down sharply.

Now.

Lucy's hands lay either side of her head, and when he hovered above her he intertwined the fingers of his left with her right. A light sheen of sweat coated her forehead when he rested his own against it. She squeezed his hand, her brown eyes boring into his with so many unspoken words. With her free hand, she grasped at his hips, pulling him close enough so that his tip brushed against her entrance.

Slowly, he pushed inside of her. Both of them released a shaky breath at the _rightness_ of it all. Natsu had spent a good portion of his life angry and hating himself, but in that moment, the moment when the two of them couldn't help but to close their eyes and concentrate on the feeling, he'd never felt such warmth. Lucy was what made him human. Lucy was home.

"I love you."

The words escaped him when he was fully sheathed inside of her. He realised he hadn't said them before, when she said that she loved him. He couldn't believe it had taken him so long to say it.

In response, Lucy dug her heals into his lower back. A sign that she'd adjusted, basked in the feeling and now wanted more of it. He could barely hold himself back as she rocked her hips against his own.

Natsu pulled out a little more than halfway before thrusting back into her. Lucy moaned, the hand that still clasped his squeezing tighter. He went slowly at first, revelling in the feeling that overwhelmed him each time their hips clashed together. Lucy's nails dug into the skin of his back, but he didn't care. His body was overcome by the waves of blazing ecstasy.

Gradually his thrusts gained more momentum as the two of them became ever more desperate for release. Their breaths mingled together as their hips collided. Natsu occasionally showered Lucy with sloppy kisses, but his mind was more focused on her legs wrapped around him.

As she neared her peak, Lucy's cries became more frantic. Her voice echoed his name in the tiny cavern, the sound ringing in his ears. Natsu's own release was so close he could taste it.

Lucy clenched around him, her back arching off the cavern floor as she succumbed to pleasure. Natsu thrust into her a few more times, prolonging her high before finally reaching his own. He spilled inside of her as his bones seemed to melt. He had to fight hard not to collapse on top of her.

Instead, he collapsed beside her. Neither of them cared they were completely naked as they lay on the floor of the cavern together and regained their breaths. All of his dismal thoughts from earlier, of the war and his inevitable death, seemed to have been banished from his mind. Completely replaced by the feeling of contentment.

Lucy turned on her side. He shifted to let her rest her head on his shoulder, his arm draped around her. His fingers traced idle circles on her clammy skin as she slung her own arm over his chest.

"I love you too." She smiled against his skin.

Natsu couldn't help his own grin as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

They lay there for a while in silence. Natsu let himself imagine what a life with Lucy would be like. Being with her, like this. Being with her at all, really. Did she really want a cottage by a lake, like her dream? It didn't matter to him what they had, where they lived. As long as Lucy was happy.

"Natsu," Her voice startled him despite its softness. He thought she'd been asleep, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." He smiled gently even though she couldn't see it.

"How did you die?"

Natsu tensed.

Of all the questions she could have asked, this wasn't one that he'd expected. The memory was still painful. Despite the fact it had happened long ago.

Lucy noticed his reaction. She moved so that she lay on his chest, her sad eyes looking up at him apologetically as her fingers brushed the scar on his neck. The scar she'd given him. _The things we've done to each other_ , he thought idly.

"You don't have to tell me," She whispered, "I was just curious."

"I don't really like to talk about it. Or think about it." He admitted as he toyed with her hair, "But I'll tell you."

He took a moment to gather his thoughts. It wasn't a memory he liked to relive.

"I always liked adventures," He began, "Everyone in my village knew it. The old folks, they would tell me these wild stories about knights and magic and treasure, and I'd go looking for it. I think they told me all those stories because they felt sorry for me. After my mother died, my father wasn't much of a person anymore. And everybody knew Zeref hated me. So I had to go on all my adventures alone."

Even with his arms wrapped around Lucy, the loneliness of that old life hit him hard. His memories were somewhat distorted, but he could still sense the truth in them. Even if he remembered what had happened through the eyes of a child.

"One story quickly became my favourite out of them all," Natsu continued, "It had everything I wanted in an adventure. Heroes, sword fights, a deadly dragon. A mighty quest. One of the village elders saw how happy it made me, and eventually he told me it was true. The story was based on a legend of a dragon that would grant anyone a wish, if they managed to steal some of his treasure."

Natsu explained to Lucy, who listened quietly, about how rare magic was at the time. His brother had already begun to show signs of power, while Natsu was just a dirty little kid. As a child, he'd thought his village was the whole world, and he was the weakest one in it.

He wanted to be strong.

Every day he had woken up to Zeref's cold gaze, his father wrapped in grief. He thought that if he could find the dragon, steal some if its treasure, that he could make everything right. He wasn't even sure what he would wish for when he ran away.

"The elders told me it was a fool's quest when I started asking too many questions. But I went anyway. I left everything I knew behind in the night, following all the legends that mentioned a dragon. It felt like I was going everywhere and nowhere all at once. I don't know how long I wandered."

"Did you find it?" Lucy asked softly after he'd been silent for a few moments, "The dragon?"

"Of course I found it," He smiled and squeezed her shoulders, but then he saw the look in her eyes, "It wasn't the dragon that killed me Lucy."

"Then how did you die?" She asked again.

Natsu sighed.

"I ended up in an abandoned mine," He looked away from her as he told the story. He'd never told the story to anyone before, but he knew this was the hardest part to tell, "I didn't think I'd find anything. Why would a dragon live in a mine? But I went in anyway. The mines just kept going down and down until I wasn't in a mine anymore. I had no idea what it was. I remember thinking I'd found hell.

"Just when I thought I couldn't get any further underground, I found it. The treasure. And the dragon."

He remembered how the breath had left him. He'd found a real life dragon. A humongous red scaled beast. The legends hadn't done it justice. Everything about it radiated power. Natsu had been so afraid of it he hadn't even dared to move. He'd forgotten all about stealing its treasure. The dragon had looked at him then, its eyes so old and wise.

And it had laughed.

"He laughed at me," Natsu told Lucy, smiling at the memory despite himself, "He spoke too. He said he was so impressed that someone so tiny had made it so far. The praise made me feel good. Who else can say they've impressed a dragon?"

Lucy smiled at him.

"What happened next?"

Natsu's smile fell.

"He told me his name was Igneel." His voice caught on the name, "He asked me about my life, and I told him. I told him everything. About my mother, my father's grief, the village, Zeref's hatred. No one had ever told me dragons were capable of pity."

He remembered how he'd cried to Igneel about killing his mother. How he wanted to bring her back so that Zeref wouldn't hate him anymore. Igneel had told him it was a crime to bring back the dead. That it was safer for the soul if you accepted the loss and moved on. Natsu had thought of his father then. So clearly beyond moving on. What had become of his soul?

"I ended up staying. Igneel became my friend. More than that. When he finally asked me what my wish was, I said I wanted to stay with him."

It had been a childish wish to belong, but he had never regretted it. Even when it became apparent that his wish was selfish. That he'd thrown away his old family for his own happiness. Zeref and his father barely crossed his mind. Igneel had just begun to teach him fire magic when his world beneath the world came tumbling down.

"He found me." Natsu spat the words, "I don't know how, but Zeref found me. I thought he would be grateful that I'd ran away but it turns out it just pissed him off."

Zeref had been disgusted at the sight of Natsu wielding fire. He'd demanded that Natsu stop learning 'the beasts art' and return home. Natsu hadn't wanted to go, so Igneel didn't let him. He told Zeref that if he ever returned or sought out Natsu again, it would be the last thing he ever did.

Zeref had left, and Natsu had been foolish enough to think that he would never come back. While Igneel gave Natsu a gift from his treasure hoard- a white scaled scarf that the dragon claimed would protect him always- Zeref found himself a dragon of his own.

"I-I died in the fight. Igneel did too." His voice shook and a tear escaped him, "Acnologia destroyed the mines above us in order to get to Igneel, just as Zeref had told him. Igneel told me to run, and I didn't want to leave him but I did. I was crushed under the rubble as Igneel died trying to save me."

"Natsu…"

Lucy was looking at him, her sad eyes now held tears of her own. She gently brushed the tears from his cheeks as Natsu composed himself enough to tell what was left of his tale.

"Zeref found me after. Dug up my body. He'd gotten powerful after I'd ran away. Powerful enough to bring me back. I don't know how he did it. I was dead for that part. The next thing I remember is waking up a monster."

And he was _not_ going to tell her about that.

Lucy placed a light kiss on his chest, just above his heart. She seemed to feel a little guilty for making him dredge up the painful memories. He smiled at her despite the lump in his throat, cupping her face in his rough hands and bringing her up to kiss her softly.

"Can I ask _you_ something?" He asked once they broke apart.

Lucy nodded as they both lay down on their sides facing each other. They kept close, pressing themselves against each other. Natsu reached over and picked up his coat, laying it across them before he asked his question.

"In the year after we first met, before you joined Fairy Tail, what were you doing?"

He'd wondered for a long time. She never spoke of it. It was almost as if for that year, she had ceased to exist. Everyone had thought she was dead, until suddenly, she had reappeared without warning. Ready for battle. How much of what she'd done in that year had made her the woman who lay beside him now?

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she trailed her fingers across his face, as though memorising all his features by touch. When her fingers brushed his lips, he kissed the tips of each one. It was after that she finally spoke.

"I was training to kill you."

It shouldn't have been surprising, but for some reason it was. Perhaps it was the shock of finally hearing his suspicions confirmed out loud. She'd trained to kill him. She'd wanted him dead.

"Was this part of the plan?"

A dangerous question, but he asked it anyway. If it turned out her love was a lie, she wouldn't have to kill him. His heart wouldn't beat anymore if she shattered it.

"They trained me to kill a demon," She murmured, "I see no demons here."

"Maybe you're not looking hard enough." He couldn't meet her eyes as his fingers tried idly to unravel her braid.

Lucy lay her palm on his cheek. He closed his eyes and focused on the warmth of her skin. Not just her palm, but everywhere they touched. When he opened his eyes, he could look at her again.

"Maybe you're looking for something that just isn't there." Her whisper fanned across his face.

Natsu's hand covered her own on his cheek. He pressed a kiss to her palm before asking her a different question.

"How did you get out of the city? After I left."

Your _burning_ city. After I left _you_.

The words got stuck on his tongue.

"The stars." Was all Lucy said.

"Don't you trust me?" He frowned.

"No one ever believes me." She giggled.

Lucy untangled herself from him then, making him worry for a moment that he'd offended her somehow. She smiled at him when she sat up however. He let his worry fade as he watched her. She cast of their make-shift blanket and stood. He loved that she didn't seem to be self-conscious around him. Her hips swayed enticingly as she made her way over to the pool.

"I didn't want to live," Lucy began as she stood before the pool untying the rest of her braid. She said it almost casually, but he could hear the deeper emotions she tried to hide, "There was nothing left, so I thought, what's the point? I didn't even try to stop the bleeding."

Natsu felt sick at the thought of the life bleeding out of her from a wound he'd made. He lapped up that life willingly in his silly attempt to save her. Hummed at the taste. He'd never forgive himself for that.

Lucy placed her feet in the pool and sat. She scrubbed the dirt that still lingered on her feet from their journey here. Continuing her story as she washed away the grime.

"I lay there, waiting to die." She told him with a faraway look in her eyes, "But I didn't get what I wanted."

Natsu listened as Lucy told him that what she had wanted was death, but what she had gotten was something else. The way she told the story, it didn't seem real. According to Lucy, her heartbeat had slowed as she'd looked at the stars for what she thought would be the last time. She could see them from where he'd left her dying on the cold marble floor. As her eyes had drifted shut, they'd fallen from the sky and crept in through her window. Figures of light were all she saw before she thought she died.

"The next thing I remember is waking up to them. The stars." Lucy smiled sadly, "They were so kind to me. Even when I threw their kindness back in their face."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, still watching her.

Lucy sighed. Her feet were now clean, but she didn't seem satisfied. She lowered the rest of her body into the water, submerging herself. When she came up for air, she was facing him. Natsu couldn't help but stare as water droplets trailed down her bare chest.

"They saved my life." He voice reminded him where to direct his attention, "If not for them, I would have bled out in the tower. But when I woke up… I had accepted that I was going to die. I was disappointed when it turned out I hadn't."

He simply couldn't imagine it. He didn't _want_ to imagine it. A Lucy with no hope. With no energy to live. She told him of how the stars had brought her food, of how she'd rejected it. Of how they tended to her wound, and how she spared no energy to getting better. She'd lain there were she'd woken and let the grief consume her.

Natsu had done that to her.

When Lucy had shouted at him the first time they'd had an actual conversation, in the northern forest after she'd freed Erza, he thought he'd felt the stab of regret at its sharpest then. But that was nothing compared to now. Now he wanted to take Lucy's small hands in his own and wrap them around his throat. Let her choke the life out of the source of her grief.

"Lucy-"

"Don't." She cut him off, "Just listen."

She took a deep breath. He could see the struggle in her eyes. This was painful for her to talk about. Her emotions were as bare to him as the rest of her body. Her eyes didn't find him when she spoke. They were too busy looking at her memories.

"I let myself waste away. The stars- some begged me to stay strong, others promised me their strength. One called me weak and vain. She said she knew my loss was great, but that I could be greater if only I tried. But I didn't want to try." Lucy's voice shook. She squeezed her eyes shut but a tear escaped, "I felt _nothing._ Everything I loved in the world was dead. I'd worshiped the very stars that were caring for me but I didn't let myself love them. I was too afraid they'd be taken from me too. I missed my _home._ I wanted it back. I wanted everything to be the way it was again, but I knew it never would be. That's when I felt it."

Her eyes came back to the present then, and she looked at him. She wanted him to ask.

"Felt what?"

"The anger." She was shaking as though she felt it now.

"Your grief turned to anger?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Not my anger." She told him, " _Yours._ "

Natsu stared at her in shock.

"It was yours first, but it became mine." She continued, "I don't know what you were angry at, but I felt it. Deep in my gut. I started screaming. The only way I knew how to get it out. Aquarius- the one who had called me weak- she told me to stop. That the anger belonged to you. That's when I… I let it out."

He knew what she meant. She had let out her light. He knew what must have followed after. The convulsions, the appearance of the veins. So much pain. Because of him.

"It was the only thing I felt for months." Lucy continued, "Anger. All of the time. Aquarius and the others were glad that it had awakened my power- power I don't know if I ever really believed that I had until then- but they were worried about what all that rage was doing to me. They gave me the armour anyway, and I threw myself into my training. Revenge set in my heart and murder in my eyes."

Natsu noticed that Lucy left out a lot of details, but he could understand. Her story was a harrowing one. It chilled him to the bone. He wondered how much of it Fairy Tail knew.

She paused her story to submerge herself again. Natsu thought about how completely they'd given themselves to each other tonight. Their intimacy seemed like a distant memory in the wake of the two of them relating their pasts.

Lucy pulled herself out of the pool and wandered back over to him. She lifted his coat and settled underneath it beside him, letting him wrap his arms around her. He couldn't comprehend it.

"I don't understand." He whispered against her neck, "How can you do this? You should have killed me that day we first fought. I saw the murder in your eyes then. But where was the revenge in your heart?"

"I let it go." She said simply, "Things changed. I never want anger to control me again."

There was conviction in her voice, and her hand that rested on his give it a firm squeeze.

"What changed?" He asked. He knew he shouldn't, but as always, he couldn't help himself.

Lucy drew in a breath. Her shoulders shook with the effort. He knew she was crying even without seeing her face. It seemed he was always hurting her somehow.

"Aquarius died." She sobbed, "That broken key on my armour? That was hers. A star is _gone_ because of me. Because I was weak, and selfish, and let my heart become clouded with hate."

Natsu held her close as she sobbed. One day, if she was ready, if they both survived the war, perhaps she would tell him the whole story. Why the loss of one her friends had led her to spare him. He never knew Aquarius, and now he never would, but he was grateful to her. Because she had been a friend to Lucy.

Lucy's life seemed to have so many cruel twists, and yet it was in his arms she sought comfort. He would comfort her, undoubtedly. Fate had dealt them a cruel hand, but despite their pasts, they loved each other. They had hurt each other, saved each other, condemned each other. And yet…

They loved.

She turned to him then and kissed him fiercely. Her hair was still damp from the pool but his fingers still twined in the tangles. Her hands roamed over his hot skin, and he let her touches sooth the ache in his chest, hoping that his own would lessen hers.

They lost themselves in the ecstasy of each other again. Whispering promises they couldn't keep between heavy breaths as the war waged on in the world outside their own.

* * *

 **A/N: From steamy to emotional to steamy again. What a chapter! I hope you guys liked it! Writing has been slow lately bc freshers is wearing me out but I hope to get the ball rolling again soon in order to keep the updates regular. There's not much long left of the story to go...**

 **Thank you for all your kind reviews so far, please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	17. Discovered

Unlike the first time he'd awoken beside Lucy, Natsu was not surprised to find his more monstrous features had returned. Also unlike the previous time, he did not push her away.

She lay sleeping contentedly in his arms, her breaths tickling his chest. He didn't want to move, but he knew he had to go. He needed to return home and tell the truth.

Suffer the consequences.

His hope was that Zeref would be angry enough with his betrayal to kill him or revoke his power. His brother's rage was strong enough that it could blind him enough to destroy the main chance he had at winning the war, inadvertently giving Fairy Tail a chance at victory.

When he untangled himself from Lucy, her hands stretched out in search of his warmth. The sight made him smile, but also made him even more reluctant to leave her. He wished he had the strength to say goodbye, to tell her of his plans, but if he looked her in the eyes again he knew he would never leave. His coat still covered her body, so he settled for pulling it up over her shoulders to lessen the loss of his heat.

Natsu stood and stretched, letting his wings unfurl to their full length. It was strange. He felt different somehow. Although his scales had returned, he didn't quite feel like a monster. He turned to look at Lucy's still sleeping form. He didn't need her to do that ritual. She'd changed him already.

He forced himself to turn away from her and retrieve his pants. Once he'd pulled them on he realised that Lucy's dress still lay crumpled on the floor. The sight of it stirred his memories of last night. How he'd watched it fall off her shoulders to unveil her creamy skin underneath.

The thoughts lead him to kneel down in front of her and gently brush the hair from her face with his clawed fingers. She didn't stir under his touch so he allowed himself to watch her for a moment. She looked so peaceful as she slept, he wondered what she was dreaming of.

Before he stood once more, he placed a tender kiss against her exposed shoulder. Her skin was warm beneath his lips, causing an ache in his chest at the thought of leaving her, but he managed to pull away.

He left Lucy alone in the cavern and made his way back up the narrow passageway that she had brought him down the night before. It seemed longer walking it alone. Smaller too. He kept his wings folded tightly at his back to keep from scraping the walls.

Eventually, light appeared at the end of the tunnel. When he emerged from between the tree roots he was forced to shield his eyes against the glare of the sun light that had found its way through the canopy. Judging from the sun, he guessed it was late morning.

A soft breeze caressed his heated skin as it stirred the leaves of the treetops. He wandered forward into the clearing, marvelling at the life all around him. Such a picturesque place would never be found in his lands, where all unnecessary life was burned away.

"Morning stroll?"

Her soft voice drifted to him over the wind, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to see her leaning against the tree that led to the cavern, watching him. The sight of her made his breath catch in his throat. She wasn't wearing her dress. Just his coat.

The wind caught at her hair that hung loose down her back as she strolled towards him. She showed no signs that the morning dew on the grass tickled her feet, or that the breeze against her bare legs made her cold. She was too fixated on him.

Lucy stopped an arm's length away from him.

"I didn't want to wake you." He told her, his voice hoarse despite himself. Gods, what she did to him.

Her answering grin was mischievous. The coy way she worried on her bottom lip made his mouth go dry.

"You forgot something." She smiled innocently at him.

He took a step forward, expecting his forgotten item to be one last kiss before he left, but he paused when Lucy raised her hands to grip the collar of his coat that hung heavy on her shoulders. She hadn't been talking about a kiss.

Slowly, teasingly, she pulled the red fabric away. The bare skin of her shoulder, that he'd kissed minutes ago in the cavern, was revealed first. He was captivated. He knew he had to come to his senses, but the thought was distant.

When she pulled the garment lower to reveal her bare chest, Natsu groaned. He closed the distance between them, willing himself to grasp at the coat and not her bare flesh. His claws almost tore the fabric as he yanked the coat shut.

Lucy chuckled.

"Keep it," His voice was barely above a growl, "Otherwise I'll never leave."

Lucy was still smiling when he leaned down and rested his forehead against her own. Her hands skimmed up his bare chest, leaving a tingling feeling in their wake before coming up to cup his face. He leaned into her touch just as he always did.

"Natsu…"

His name on her lips sent shivers down his spine. _Screw it,_ he thought. He nudged her with his nose to face her, causing her to giggle just before he kissed her. Guess he could spare a few more hours.

The taste of her, the feel of her, even after last night he wanted more. She made his heart feel as though it was fit to burst just from the way she kissed him. Deep and trusting and full. He couldn't help but smile around her kisses. _Gods,_ he loved her.

Lucy took a step back but did not let her lips leave his. He knew what she was doing. Leading them back to the cavern. He didn't have the strength to pull away from her. He was content to drown in this feeling, Zeref be damned.

A twig snapping echoed through the quiet clearing.

Their heads snapped to their right but they did not pull away from each other. Natsu's blood went cold with fear, his lust-filled thoughts shattered at the sight of another across the clearing.

A silver-haired girl stood frozen in shock by the tree line. Her mouth was agape, her eyes wide with horror.

"Yukino?" Lucy breathed.

Her voice spurred him into action.

Natsu shoved Lucy behind him and glared at the new comer. She had seen them together. She was a risk to Lucy's safety. He snarled at her, baring his teeth. The sight made her go pale as she stumbled back a step. He knew she would have ran if she had not tripped on a tree root.

He took a step towards her, not quite knowing what he was going to do with her. He needed to keep Lucy safe, no matter the costs.

"Natsu," Lucy grabbed his arm. Her voice was firm, drawing his attention even as the intruder began to weep. Lucy moved in front of him as though to block his path. She shoved gently on his chest, "You need to go."

"But she saw-"

"I know," She sighed. "I know what she saw."

Really, it was a miracle this hadn't happened sooner. It had always been a risk, someone catching them. Bur for some reason, he'd always thought it would be someone from his side that threatened to tear them apart.

" _Go._ " Lucy insisted.

Natsu nodded, but his eyes drifted over her shoulder. The girl was shaking in fear, but she was still staring at them. At _him._

"Who is she?" He asked Lucy.

"Yukino," Lucy repeated the name. She seemed sad, "She… she's the only other person left. From my homeland."

The words were an unspoken message. _You can't kill her._ Lucy didn't have to worry about that. He was reluctant to kill in general, but he would never hurt someone with ties to Lucy. Not again.

"I can handle this," Lucy assured him as he stared at Yukino. His attention was drawn back to Lucy when she shoved his chest again. Harsher this time, " _Go._ "

He didn't want to leave her but… his presence would only scare her friend. She'd win her secrecy better alone.

Natsu nodded. He pressed a kiss to Lucy's forehead as Yukino watched. The silver-haired girl looked about ready to vomit. He couldn't help the way her look boiled his blood as he leaped into the air.

Once airborne, he couldn't linger for long. He tried his best to spy Lucy through the trees, but once she ran to Yukino she disappeared from his view. His stomach lurched as he soared into the skies.

They'd been caught.

What would happen to Lucy if Yukino told Fairy Tail of her Princesses secret lover? Judging by Yukino's own reaction, Lucy's allies would be disgusted. As he expected they would be. Would they lock her away? Execute her for her treachery? No. That didn't seem like Fairy Tail. But… she would face punishment, undoubtedly. He hoped Yukino wouldn't tell.

The small marks he'd left on his own skin the light before drew his thoughts. That fleeting thought he'd had of ending his own existence, removing the stain that was his soul from the world… he should have done it. Their secret would have died with him if he had.

Well, his plans now were as good as a death sentence. If he told Zeref the truth and his brother chose to end his life, then hopefully it wouldn't matter if Lucy's allies found out. Maybe he could save her in more ways than one.

No alarms were raised as he flew. He'd made it to the cloud cover without anybody sighting him in the skies. He beat his wings with all his strength. The faster he returned, the less time he'd give himself to worry about Lucy. But the feeling gnawed on him none the less.

When he finally dropped from the clouds, their fortress was in sight. He frowned at the sight of Acnologia. The dragon was not circling in the skies as he usually was, but lay curled in the courtyard where Natsu usually landed. His hulking body took up almost all of the space. Even from this distance, Natsu could tell the guards that milled about carefully avoided the dragon.

Natsu made his decent, focusing on the way the wind carried him instead of the anxiety twisting in his stomach. He was forced to land between the dragon and the large doors that would let him inside the castle.

Acnologia raised his head as Natsu landed. The dragon grinned at him, giving Natsu a full view of the bones stuck between his sharp, gleaming teeth. Natsu scowled at him and the dragon let out his gravelly laugh.

"What's so funny?" Natsu snarled at him, his fists igniting. He was in no mood for this.

The dragon lowed its head right in front of Natsu, fanning his putrid breath over him as he spoke.

"You _reek_ of her."

* * *

 **A/N: Have I screamed over hitting the 300 follower mark yet? I can't remember, so just in case, AAAAHHHH 300 FOLLOWERS OMG WHAT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I'm sorry this chapter is quite short but I hope you guys like it anyway! Future updates may be slow because of uni and because I have officially started planning for my next venture... it's a fae AU titled _The Horrors Of Spring_ so you can keep an eye out for that when this is finished! Until then, if you're curious about it, feel free to ask!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	18. Three Fools

Natsu's blood ran cold for the second time that day.

He was an idiot. A complete and utter fool. After last night, _of course_ the dragon could smell her on him. He could smell how her scent lingered on his skin himself. Had thought it a comfort. He should have seen sense.

"Reek of who?" He attempted to feign innocence, but Acnologia had already seen the terror in his eyes.

"Don't play dumb with me, _dragon boy,_ " The beast laughed, rising up on his haunches, "My, my, what will Zeref make of this I wonder."

Natsu fought hard to keep his flames in check as blind rage consumed him. Acnologia had been the one to take Igneel from him, and now the dragon held the power to keep him from the only other person that had ever truly loved him.

"Zeref doesn't need to know." Natsu seethed. Not yet anyway. And not from Acnologia.

"Does he not?" The dragons face contorted into a feral grin, "Perhaps I should tell him anyway."

"You can't tell him if you're dead." Natsu grinned back.

He was sure his blood was boiling. Despite himself, his flames licked around him, desperate to turn the source of his anger into ash. The source of his anger whose head was now tipped back in laughter.

Unable to bite his tongue any longer, Natsu let loose an enraged roar. The sound was so loud it cut Acnologia's laugh short, and drew the attention of every resident in the fortress. Natsu didn't even stop to think how his anger would be affecting Lucy. He was too focused on the enemy before him.

Acnologia stared at him in shock. Natsu could see himself reflected in the dragon's dark eyes. He looked fresh out of hell. Surrounded in a blazing flame and the urge to slit a few throats written plainly across his face. Humans did not know fear well enough to conjure a nightmare like this.

The dragon lowered himself to Natsu's level. He didn't so much as cringe at the heat of the flames, making Natsu waver slightly.

"You dare to challenge me?" Acnologia flashed him a savage grin before adding, " _Son of Igneel."_

The words were dripping with contempt, but they stirred Natsu's memory. He had seen it when Acnologia had torn Igneel apart, and the dragon knew it. Natsu may be a demon, but he was a lowly one. He had power to spare, but was it really enough to kill a dragon?

"You could _never_ defeat me." The dragon chuckled, "Perhaps you should try _begging."_

"Begging for what?" A new voiced asked.

Natsu's flames disappeared as the doors of the fortress opened fully to reveal his brother. Zeref's eyes were narrowed as he looked between his brother and his beast. He did not try to hide his annoyance.

"His life," Acnologia sneered, backing off slightly at the sight of his master, "Or perhaps someone else's."

Zeref scowled.

"Explain yourselves." He ordered.

Natsu recalled his earlier plan. To tell his brother the truth and hope his rage got the better of him. Perhaps if Acnologia told him, his anger would be worse. It would certainly improve the scale of his betrayal.

Not that he had a choice.

He shared a look with the dragon. A silent challenge. Acnologia bared his teeth in a feral grin.

"You first," The dragon snarled, "Why don't you tell us if her blood tastes as sweet as her-"

Natsu cut him off with a savage roar, his flames flaring from his heated skin. His anger was an inferno inside of him, cut off only by the gut-wrenching pressure of his brother's magic.

" _Control yourself_ ," Zeref spat.

His gaze held no sympathy as Natsu fell to his knees and writhed under the pressure of the dark tendrils that wormed their way to him from Zeref's outstretched hand. Even Acnologia managed to hold his tongue when Zeref's harsh gaze turned to him. A silent order for an explanation.

"The scent of the celestial princess lies thick on our Demon Prince," The dragon spoke gravely, as though Natsu's treachery may actually be something other than a joke to him. The beast's eyes when he turned to him showed the truth, however. They were smug, "Did you take the Princess?"

He hated the way the dragon purposefully phrased the question. _Take._ The mere thought of _anyone_ forcing themselves on Lucy made him sick to his stomach. It made him want to tear someone to pieces. Fairy Tail would likely phrase it the same way if they were ever to ask him. It was difficult to picture anyone being with him willingly.

Natsu looked to his brother, but he could not see any emotions on his face. The dark tendrils of magic had retreated slightly, but Natsu was wary of their return. Zeref's dark hair concealed his eyes from Natsu's view. He could only guess at how quickly his brother's anger was rising.

"I didn't take her," Natsu finally spoke. He straightened himself, showing both his brother and the dragon that he held no shred of regret, "I gave myself to her."

Zeref clenched his fists by his sides, his magic abruptly disappearing. Natsu noticed the veins standing out on his brother's hands as the air became electrified with barely contained power. Natsu fought the instinct to shrink back. He would bare his punishment.

"Disgusting," Acnologia snarled, not sensing or ignoring Zeref's rising anger, "You ought to be-"

Once again, the dragon was cut off by a bellow of rage. But this time, it was Zeref's. Natsu couldn't help his own flinch as the sound rang in his ears, signalling the inevitable onslaught of pain.

But it never came.

Not for him, anyway.

Natsu stared in shock as Zeref propelled his magic at the dragon before him. Acnologia's roar was deafening. He recoiled in surprise, anger dominating his features for only a moment before the pain set in. The dragon trashed under the onslaught of Zeref's magic, but his efforts were useless.

Zeref's gaze was furious, his rage as unrelenting as his magic. The dark tendrils of energy wound their way around the dragon, seeming to intend to crush him. Acnologia bellowed in pain as the magic clenched around him and his mighty form began to grow smaller.

Still frozen in place from the shock, Natsu watched as the dragons scales were torn from him by the magic. His wings began to rot as his form grew smaller and smaller. Zeref's magic surrounded him as his screams grew louder, obscuring him from view.

When the magic dispersed, a man lay crumpled in the dragons place.

The figure struggled to push himself up. His mane of silver hair fell into his face but it was difficult to miss the hatred churning in the depths of his green eyes. Natsu frowned at the tanned skin man with blue markings covering his skin. Was this… Acnologia?

"Bind him." Zeref ordered to no one in particular.

Soldiers scurried from their hiding places with shackles and chains, but the former dragon roared before any could get near enough to chain him.

"Why have you forced this disgusting form upon me?" Acnologia seethed at Zeref as he struggled to stand.

Natsu's brother did not take kindly to Acnologia's impudence. Zeref bared his teeth as he lashed out at the former dragon with his magic once more, bringing him to his knees. While he gasped for air, Zeref strode forward, bringing himself close enough to punch the dragon in the face with a fist cloaked in black flames.

"I am no fool," Zeref scowled at him as soldiers finally came forth to bind the dragon, "You have withheld this information from me for some time. I've suspected my brothers treachery for many months. Do you really expect me to believe that you just caught that filthy girls scent on him _now_?"

Acnologia gave no answer. Zeref growled slightly under his breath as the dragon held his gaze, not bothering to hide his contempt.

Zeref lashed out, wrapping a hand around Acnologia's thick neck and sending another wave of magic through him. When the former dragon crumpled, Zeref gestured for the soldiers to bind Natsu too.

Natsu did not fight them as they made him kneel before his brother.

"Traitors. Both of you." Zeref ground out.

His rage was getting the better of him, Natsu could tell. Zeref was so powerful that too wild of an emotion could send him spiralling out of control. Even now, his magic flitted around him. Natsu only hoped that his brother would lose enough control to kill his greatest assets.

"Was it worth it?" Zeref barked as he tried in vain to ease his rage by pacing. He looked halfway to madness, his words dripping contempt as he spoke, "Hhmm? Was she worth it Natsu? Did she whisper sweet nothings in your ear and make all the pain go away?"

"Pretty much." Natsu drawled, hoping his brother's temper would snap.

It almost did.

"Can't you see she had you on a leash?!" Zeref stomped his foot and screamed like a child, "What did it take for you to go running to her? A flash of skin? Promises of a better tomorrow? They're _liars_ Natsu! How could you be so stupid? What have you told her?"

"Oh, you know, sweet nothings." Natsu smirked, mocking his brother's earlier words. He was rewarded by the crackling of Zeref's magic. So close, just a little more. "I told her lots of things. I told her that I loved her."

Zeref's magic seemed to be pulled back into himself as he stared at Natsu, his expression a mixture of rage and disbelief. Natsu knew his brother was so close, _so close,_ to the breaking point that it surprised him a little that Zeref was still able to speak.

"And what did she say?"

Natsu let his mind drift back to last night before he spoke, revelling in the memory as he breathed in what he highly suspected were his last moments. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine that the gentle breeze was her breath on his skin. That the light was her golden hair.

 _I love you, Lucy,_ he thought to himself, feeling the warmth of it surround his heart so intently that he hoped she would feel it, _I hope you can forgive me for that._

He opened his eyes and gave Zeref his answer.

"She told me that she loved me too."

Zeref blinked slowly before chuckling dryly to himself. The air hummed with his magic as he stepped forward, his hand squeezing Natsu's throat as he leaned down to bring their faces inches apart.

"You're a fool brother," Zeref mumbled, "Fairies are incapable of love. Even I know that."

Natsu's lungs screamed for air as his brother's grip tightened. A black cloud obscured the sun as Natsu smothered the urge to struggle against his chains. His brother frowned down at him.

And then Zeref released his magic.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the update delay! Uni keeps getting in the way of writing :( Over 300 reviews though! Thank you all so much! Please keep them coming and let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	19. Timeless Torture

Natsu groaned.

His whole body ached. It was an effort to merely open his eyes, and when he finally managed, his eyes showed him much the same thing they had when they were closed. Darkness.

He wasn't sure if he was in his own dungeon or another, but either way he was chained. Cold stone bit into his knees while the chains chafed his wrists, his spread arms hanging limply. He had no energy to struggle. They'd even pinioned his wings. The leather straps were pulled too-tight over his chest, biting into his skin and restricting his wings so much he wondered if he'd ever be able to straighten them again. It seemed his tail had been broken for good measure too.

Without much else to do than wallow in his pain, he wondered how long he'd been out for. An hour? A day? A week? There was no way to tell. It hurt a little to breathe. Everything hurt, in one way or another. Perhaps the most painful of all was the pain in his chest.

Natsu tried his best to keep the tears of frustration at bay but he couldn't stop his uneven breaths and the shaking of his shoulders. He grit his teeth. He had been a fool. Countless times, he'd failed to see the truth. Four hundred years of life and yet he'd never learned a damn thing.

A flash of hatred burned through him so hot that it give him a spur of energy to pull in vain against the chains. Who had marked this path for him? Did Fate feast on his suffering? All he had ever wanted in life was to be happy. From the moment he entered the world, he had been despised for the suffering he caused. His presence around his father and his brother had been like picking at a scab. The wound would not heal unless you left it alone. So he'd left, trying to find his own happiness while hopefully giving them back theirs.

He _had_ found happiness. Deep under the earth with a mighty dragon that had given him a home. But Fate had other plans, and had ripped his happiness away. She hadn't even given him the courtesy of putting an end to his suffering. Casting him out from the world beyond this one and handing him back to his brother.

Years and years later, after more than a lifetime of blood and ashes, he'd thought maybe fate hadn't been so cruel after all, because he had met Lucy.

After a fleeting bout of naive happiness, his own idiocy had caught up with him. And now, this. Locked away. Shrouded in the wrong kind of darkness. Couldn't Fate just cut him a break?

He should have known he wouldn't get what he wanted. He never had before, why would he now? He should have been afraid to be happy again. It was the way thing went, after all. The things that made him happy had a tendency to be slaughtered before his eyes. He was never given the mercy of going with them.

The resentment for Fate's design stoked the fires within him, but the flames never came. The fire was trapped inside of him, making him sweat when he struggled to push it to the surface.

Zeref's doing.

Then again, what _wasn't_ Zeref's doing? His brother seemed to have been conspiring with Fate, because every misery in Natsu's life could be linked to Zeref in one way or another. He probably looked at their mother's swollen stomach with contempt even before Natsu was born.

If only he had the power to kill his wretched brother.

As if summoned by his murderous thoughts, the darkness cracked and a stream of light broke into the room. Natsu flinched when the light hit eyes, cringing at his brothers form framed in the doorway.

Natsu had known agony, but fear churned in his gut at the look in Zeref's eyes. It was clear that pain was soon to become his closest friend.

While Zeref ordered a light and a chair to be brought into the cell for him, something stirred within Natsu. It tickled the inside of his chest like the flutter of butterfly's wings, slowly spreading a warm, contented feeling through his body.

Hope.

More powerful than his own. It was Lucy's. The feeling was fleeting, but it lingered. He wondered absently what had stirred it. He'd lost track of the days, how long had he been kept from her? He closed his eyes and pictured her hopeful brown eyes looking up at him.

No torture could be worse than being kept from her.

Right?

"So," Zeref began, sitting on the chair that had been brought for him with his legs crossed, his gaze scornful as he looked down at his younger brother, "You know how this goes Natsu. Does it feel strange to be the one in chains instead of the one asking the questions?"

Zeref huffed a laugh. Natsu knew how it went, he'd said it himself many times. _Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?_ As if they'd ever really had a choice.

"You used to love it when they chose the hard way," Zeref mused before finally getting down to business, "What did you tell her?"

Natsu counted the seconds of silence his brother allowed. _1, 2, 3…_

Zeref's patience snapped at 30.

It wasn't pain. It was something more repugnant. Natsu clenched his teeth so hard he could hear the awful grinding sound even as his stomach revolted against him. His breath came in shallow gasps through his nose as he fought hard to keep whatever was left in his stomach from clogging up his throat.

"I guess it'll be the hard way then," Zeref signed, the perfect imitation of boredom even as he repeated, "What did you tell her?"

Natsu was clenching his teeth so hard he thought they might shatter, but he still refused to speak. The churning in his stomach grew and grew. He didn't want to give Zeref the satisfaction of giving into his demands but he knew that whatever Zeref did to him, Lucy would feel too.

" _Nothing."_ Natsu managed to gasp out.

Zeref made an exaggerated sound of thoughtfulness before a fresh wave of nausea rolled through Natsu, more intense than the last. It was too much. He vomited what little was left in his stomach. Zeref loved using the most degrading of methods, but sadly for Natsu, his brother had the foresight to sit well back so that no sick got on his shoes.

He coughed and spluttered after a violent bout of dry heaving. When he looked up, vomit and spit dripping from his chin and his skin glittering with a fevered sweat, Zeref shot him the smuggest look Natsu had ever seen.

"Careful not to choke on your lies Natsu." He grinned.

"It's the truth," Natsu ground out, "We didn't talk about the war."

"Pity," Zeref scowled, "Would it have ruined your little fantasy world?" Natsu sucked in a breath to reply but Zeref cut him off, "No, don't tell me. Let me guess, little brother. Did she kiss all your sins away? Was the war a distant memory when she touched you? Where you shocked that a monster like you could be loved by something so pure?"

A certain resentment laced his tone. It made Natsu's brows furrow. Zeref looked away under his curious stare. Was he… speaking from experience?

"You said that even you know that fairies are incapable of love," Natsu's voice was hoarse from the dry heaving, but he pressed on, "How would know that?"

Zeref snarled, but as he bared his teeth, his eyes took on a faraway look. He was looking to the past. Although how far back, Natsu couldn't tell.

"You're not as smart as you think." Zeref snapped at him.

"Actually, I don't think I'm all that great." Natsu smirked.

His self-deprecating humour did not please Zeref. He sent another kind of magic at him that left Natsu feeling as though he'd taken fifty lightning bolts to the heart. Even as he heaved he was sure it would stop beating at any moment. He slumped in the chains as Zeref mulled over his words.

"You really aren't too keen on yourself are you Natsu?" Zeref pondered, "Why is that?"

"Maybe it's the horns." Natsu huffed.

He expected another torrent of magic to come his way. He even flinched in anticipation. But no blow came. Zeref merely scowled at him, before something seemed to dawn on him.

"You couldn't live with yourself could you?" Zeref laughed without humour, "If she hated you?"

Natsu let out a shaky breath. He really couldn't. He could live with being a monster as long as she didn't think him one. She'd accepted his past, his demonic form, his many, many flaws. The look of hatred that had once burned in her eyes had now turned to a different kind of flame when she looked at him. Even though he'd watch it change he still didn't believe it sometimes. That flame was what kept him going.

His thoughts must have been written plain on his face as Zeref sighed to himself, as though he were disappointed that something so trivial could cause his brother so much pain. When Natsu looked up however, his blood chilled. Zeref was looking at him with a malicious sort of cunning that made him appear on the brink of madness.

Natsu flinched as a strange ache overcame him. It began in his head before spreading to the rest of his body. It went upwards to his horns first, and then down his spine, making his wings and his tail throb as it made its way through the rest of his body.

Zeref leaned forward in his seat as Natsu began to writhe from the growing ache. His brother looked positively delighted. Natsu could barely hear speaking over the ringing in his head when he began to taunt him.

"You saw what I did to Acnologia," Zeref grinned, "It works both ways you know."

Natsu couldn't help but cry out as he noticed his scales moving, spreading slowly to cover more of his tanned skin. Had he not been chained he would have been clawing at them desperately in an attempt to reclaim his own body.

"Imagine all the destruction you'd cause with that _humanity_ buried deep beneath fire and scales. You could well be Acnologia's prodigal son," Zeref snickered at the terrified look on Natsu's face, "Would she still love you then?"

Still pulling futilely against his chains, Natsu spat right in Zeref's face. His scales were still slowly spreading, but the ache only added an edge to his rage.

"I will _not_ be your monster." Natsu growled.

Zeref wiped the spit from his face, his eyes blazing read with hatred. The ache increased to a blinding pain and Natsu couldn't stop himself from crying out. He _heard_ his bones shifting, his horns growing. He could see his claws getting sharper and longer as his red scales continued to devour his tan skin.

All of sudden, the blinding pain returned to a dull ache. Natsu sagged in relief, throat sore from screaming. He braced himself mentally for Zeref to repeat his earlier question, but the words never came.

Zeref had been shocked into silence.

Natsu watched as his brother shifted to the edge of his seat. Zeref reached out a hand, jaw clenched in concentration. The lingering ache in Natsu's body throbbed to life once more, but didn't escalate. Instead it faded away in a matter of moments.

His brother's hand had begun to shake. Zeref let out a grunt of frustration before sagging in his seat, panting as though he'd exerted himself.

What had just happened?

The chair was tipped back as Zeref stood abruptly. He lashed out at Natsu without the help of his magic. Sending his foot straight into his brother's ribs and a fist straight to his face.

Once he'd finished his onslaught, Zeref stood above Natsu, watching him bleed. There was no sympathy on his face, only rage and disgust.

"You will _always_ be a monster. You may not be my monster," Zeref seethed, "But now you're hers."

With that, Zeref left him to fester in the darkness. Natsu knew he would only see the light again if his brother thought of a way his traitorous heart could be useful.

* * *

 **A/N: Natsu isn't dead! Yay! Poor baby is going through some stuff though. I hope you liked this chapter, sorry for the long wait in updating. I suck at writing recently. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	20. What News?

Despite his own circumstances, Natsu was worried about Lucy.

Down in the darkness, he'd lost track of time. He was unsure of if he'd been locked away for mere hours or days. Maybe even weeks. But what he did know was that it had been a while since he'd felt anything from her through the bond.

He'd felt that surge of hope when his torture had begun. But since then, nothing.

Since Natsu had been locked away, he had not been fed. His body was weak from starvation and torture. Even when he had other things to do, Zeref made sure his torture never fully relented. He sent in his men every few ours to subject Natsu to the most basic of tortures. Keeping him from sleeping, beating him, they'd even branded him. The mark of Zeref's army, Tartarus, was painted in charred skin above his heart.

He remembered the raw desire he'd seen glowing in Lucy's eyes the last time he had been bare before her. He'd most likely never see that look again, even if he did manage to get out of the everlasting darkness. The mark was a brutal reminder of where he was forced to lay his allegiance. Would she still want him with that reminder staring her in the face?

Natsu repressed a flinch as the sounds of the door unlocking echoed through the darkness. What new round of torture would Zeref be giving him today?

"Natsu," His brother drawled as he entered the room, "Oh, do I have some news for you."

Natsu didn't even deign to look up, although he idly wondered what the news could be. He didn't know what fate had awaited Acnologia. Perhaps Zeref had done something to the dragon? Natsu didn't care if the beast lived or died. Acnologia could rot.

A harsh slap knocked him from his thoughts, his cheek stinging as Zeref growled at him.

" _Look_ at me when I'm talking to you."

It was a bit of a struggle, but Natsu managed to raise his head enough to meet Zeref's eyes.

"What news brother?" Natsu's voice was scratchy as he tried to mock his elder.

Zeref didn't respond to the sass however. He merely smirked at his younger brother. He chuckled under his breath, the sound echoing through the room and setting Natsu's nerves on edge. He noticed his brother had not called for a seat, which meant he wouldn't be staying long. He had come to tell him this news specifically.

His heart began to race.

"What news indeed." Zeref grinned.

He seemed positively giddy. He even had to suppress a laugh. Whatever the news was, Zeref was delighting in telling him. Which meant…

This was going to hurt.

 _Oh gods,_ Natsu thought, _Lucy._

A hundred thoughts flashed through his mind. Injured. Captured. _Dead._ Oh gods, oh hell, what had she done?

"The news, dear brother," Zeref spoke slowly, "Is about your dear heavenly princess."

 _Get it over with!_ Natsu wanted to scream, but he grit his teeth. Zeref would take even longer to deliver the news if he knew how desperately Natsu wanted to hear it.

Zeref seemed surprised at his lack of outburst.

"Don't you want to know?" He cocked his head, but Natsu remained silent. Zeref shrugged, "Well, I suppose this just proves how quickly love fades these days."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu blurted.

He was angry at himself for letting the words slip out, but it spurred Zeref on at least.

"Oh Natsu, I _do_ hate to tell you this," Zeref mock pouted, stretching out the silence for as long as he could, "Fairy Tail made the announcement this morning-"

 _Injured. Captured. Dead._

"-Lucy is going to be married."

Natsu was so shocked he couldn't even process the smug look on Zeref's face.

She was alive, uninjured, and… _engaged?_

"W-Who?" Natsu finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

How long had he been locked away? How long had it taken her to forget about him? Had she ever loved him? Or… or was it all just a quest for information, like Zeref had said? Now that her potential source was gone, she could move on to better things. Brighter things.

Zeref laughed without humour at his question, but didn't see it fit to answer. Not yet anyway. Instead he gestured to the guards by the door. A single nod of their head and they came rushing into the room.

Natsu prepared himself for pain. His muscles clenching as they drew closer. A guard each took the chains on his wrists, he waited for them to tighten the restraints.

But they didn't.

They loosened them.

When the chains were removed altogether, Natsu slumped forward. His arms shook under his own weight as he fought to keep himself from falling face-first onto the cold stone of the dungeon floor. As he was bent over, the guards busied themselves with removing the restraints on his wings.

He could have wept when the leather straps were removed, although his wings screamed in protest when he tried to unfurl them. Zeref watched in silence as Natsu slowly stretched his wings. Natsu himself tried hard not to seem grateful for the relief.

When he finally managed to look up at his older brother, he found Zeref's features unreadable, but he knew there was something stirring behind his dark eyes. Zeref always had his reasons. And they were very seldom good.

"They haven't decided yet," Zeref answered his earlier question in a quiet voice, "They are picking her match as we speak. Do you think you can fly?"

The question caught Natsu off guard. He flapped his wings gently. Perhaps he could, but why? He was weak and starved. Even if he could take to the skies, he wouldn't last long. He'd need a miracle, or an extreme strength of will.

Zeref didn't wait for his answer. He grabbed Natsu by the hair hand yanked him from his cell, only letting him go once they were past the dungeon doors. Natsu stumbled slightly when he walked, his vision going black for a moment as his body adjusted to his sudden movements.

When his vision cleared, Natsu caught a glimpse of Acnologia through the darkness. The former dragon couldn't move an inch for all the chains that covered him. He snarled at Natsu through the bars of his cell, but Natsu only stuck his tongue out in response before the guards shoved him forward to follow after his brother.

The open air invigorated him a little once they reached the courtyard of the fortress where he usually came into land. Zeref hadn't said a word on the way up, but now he looked at Natsu with distain as he gulped in the fresh air. Despite what his brother had told him about Lucy, Natsu almost smiled as the weight of whatever magic had been keeping his flames from him was lifted from his shoulders.

The feeling of freedom was brief, quickly replaced by suspicion. Why had Zeref seemingly set him free?

"Hundreds gather at Fairy Tail to catch a glimpse of your precious princess," Zeref informed him, his eyes intense, "As you stand basking in the afternoon air, men are placing their bids. Money, armies, what would you bid for her Natsu?"

 _The world._ He thought, but didn't say. Instead he merely scowled at his brother. What was Zeref playing at?

"Are you just going to stand there?" Zeref asked, he seemed incredulous, but Natsu knew it had to be an act, "Are you willingly going to let some meagre mortal take what is yours?"

"I don't understand," Natsu frowned, shuffling nervously on his feet, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you do to what _you_ want to do Natsu," Zeref insisted, but Natsu could see the malicious intent hidden in those eyes so very much like his own, "I want you to fly to Fairy Tail-"

Natsu sucked in a breath.

"-and ask your beautiful Lucy if she would do you the honour of marrying you."

* * *

 **A/N: Oooooo what is Zeref up to? Sorry about the update delay, I've had loads of uni work and stuff so it's been difficult to find the time to write. There isn't much left though! I estimate there's about 10-15 parts left of AWOTF, and that's not including the epilogue. Once it's finished, I shall be working on my new Fae AU _The Horrors Of Spring_ (Just in case you didn't already know that). Oh, I also wrote a 1920s AU oneshot, which you can find on my tumblr if you're interested. However, it is mostly smut lol.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter; please let me know your thoughts!**

 **Much Love,**

 **-HN**


	21. A Very Important Question

Chapter Twenty-one: 

A Very Important Question

There were only two reasons Natsu could think of that made Zeref's command make sense.

The first: Zeref was ordering him to fly to his death. Natsu was starved and weak, barely able to manage the flight there. Fairy Tail would see him coming, and if they didn't shoot him down, it wouldn't take much longer for them to kill him. Zeref was sentencing him to die, with the added bonus of Lucy seeing it all, shattering her heart because he was unable to shatter her body.

The second: Zeref _did_ want him to marry Lucy. His brother wanted him to marry her so that when they came together to be wed, he would be close enough to finally kill her.

Well, she'd be close enough to kill Zeref too.

So Natsu flew to Fairy Tail.

Zeref had sent sparks of magic to lick at his feet when he first hesitated to take flight. His brother had offered him no explanations as to his desire for Natsu to propose to their enemy. He'd merely told him- laughing all the while- that should she accept, they were to come together under the full moon in a months' time. His brother had been whipping amused tears from his eyes when Natsu had finally took to the skies.

It was a gruelling effort to fly. His wings screamed in protest with every beat, spots blurred his vision the higher he climbed. If it wasn't for his destination, he knew he would have collapsed long before half way. He was sure it was more than his exhaustion weighing him down. The possibilities of Zeref's plan weighed heavy on his shoulders.

His stomach churned as Makarov's castle grew closer. The grand structure was a beacon against the overcast sky, illuminated by the negations taking place inside. Natsu's keen eyes immediately picked out the guards patrolling the castle walls. It was only a matter of time before they spotted him too.

Sure enough, as he began to descend warning shouts issued from the soldiers stationed above the main gate. Natsu grit his teeth as he forced his wings to pick up the pace. Even weak and injured he was stronger than ten of Magnolia's soldiers. They had barely notched their arrows when he got close enough to take them out with a swipe of his claws.

He restrained himself though. Instead he blasted them back with a gust from his wings before diving beyond the wall and down into the castles main courtyard. He flew close to the ground, weaving through the soldiers that got in his way and knocking them clean off their feet.

He couldn't hold back the smirk it caused him.

The smirk vanished when the grand doors to the main chamber came into view. The guards had formed a barricade to keep him from their King, and the thick wooden doors had been locked and bolted.

Perhaps he'd approached this the wrong way.

Knowing it was too late to change his course and desperate to get to Lucy, Natsu pulled up just before he reached the guards and sucked in a breath. He could see the soldiers eyes widen in terror in the few seconds before he released a blast of flame from his mouth. Most managed to dive to safety at the last moment, causing the full impact of his flaming roar to hit the door to the main chamber.

The wood shattered. Screams echoed from within the hall the remnants of the door collapsed inwards. Natsu dropped to the ground, taking in a shaky breath as he furled his wings, fighting against the black spots clouding his vision. Now wasn't the time to show pain.

He straightened his back and entered the chamber.

Striding through the flames and stepping over the bodies of the fallen, Natsu faced them with a mask of stone. Court members that had come to watch the proceedings scuttled back in unconceivable terror, their contorted expressions reminding Natsu just how terrifying he could be.

The screams continued. One woman even fainted just before more guards wound their way through the crowd, forming a barricade between Natsu and the court members. Natsu could see his silhouette reflected in the shining breastplates of the soldiers standing before him. The fire still blazed behind him as though he had just now dragged his way up from hell.

But past the soldiers, past the civilians, the core members of the Fairy Tail alliance had risen from their thrones. Natsu felt his heart constrict in his chest, inches away from losing his composure because she was staring right at him. After he didn't know how long there she was.

He knew Lucy well enough to know she was thinking the same just from the look on her face. He felt so relieved it was hard not to smile. She loved him. Even after all this time, she loved him.

Natsu barely noticed the guards raising their spears to try and heard him back into the courtyard, he was so captivated by her. She was dressed all in gold. A goddess of beauty and riches, dressed in a shimmering gown that clung to her every curve. Thin mesh hung from bangles at her wrists and connected to the trail of her gown, making it look as though a mist of shimming gold fluttered around her always. Her hair was pinned back with jewels, similar to the way it had been at her friend's wedding. This time, however, she wore her crown.

A small smile twitched at the corners of lips as her eyes glowed with tears. Natsu let out a breath, his mouth forming her name-

" _You son of a bitch."_

The deep growl of words shocked Natsu from his thoughts. His eyes darted to the figure beside Lucy. With his teeth bared and his body ridged with anger, Gray Fullbuster actually looked intimidating for a change.

As if sensing his condescending thoughts, the young lord snapped into action. The crowd of court members backed away as he descended the steps from where his white gold throne was placed, his wife standing behind it. Natsu scowled at the dark haired lord as Gray tore off his shirt, ice already forming at his fingertips.

Natsu tensed, readying for a fight, but it never came. Instead a figure materialised in front of Gray, halting his progress. Natsu recognised him as the orange haired man that had been with Lucy the night of Gray's wedding.

"Easy, Gray." The man –Loke, Natsu remembered his name was- advised as he held Gray back.

Having been restrained seem to anger Gray even more. Natsu's eyes darted to Lucy, who was looking at Loke with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. It seemed Loke was so loyal to Lucy, she didn't even have to speak for him to know his orders.

" _Easy?_ Take it _easy?"_ Gray bellowed, "I'm not about to let his _monster_ so much as _breathe_ in the same room as my wife- my friends. Let me go!"

Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Tsk," He muttered, "Drama queen."

Gray bellowed in rage, sending a spear of ice over Loke's shoulder aimed straight at Natsu's heart. Natsu frowned as he sent a wave of heat radiating off his body that was strong enough not only to send the barrier of guards staggering back but also to melt the ice before it ever got the chance to hit him.

Despite his display of strength however, Natsu was still weak. His defence had left him with a shiver crawling up his spine for the first time in years and a knot of pain forming at the base of his skull.

He needed to get this over with.

"Why are you here, son of Igneel?"

The address had come from King Makarov himself. The title he used shocked Natsu. _Son of Igneel_. No one had ever called him that in this life.

Unlike his counterparts, King Makarov had not risen from his throne. The small man simply sat and scowled at Natsu from atop his golden seat. The very thing he and his son fought so hard to keep. Despite his size, the man stirred a unique kind of fear in Natsu. Something that told him it would be wise to be cautious.

"The same reason as everyone else, Your Highness," Natsu met his gaze, "I wish to ask Princess Heartfilia a question."

There was a beat of silence.

It was broken by the gasps and mutters that filled the room as realisation dawned upon its occupants. Loudest of all however, was Gray's laughter.

Natsu's head snapped in his direction to find that Gray was no longer being restrained by Loke but was rather leaning on him for support as he doubled over in laughter. People were looking at him incredulously, but the young lord didn't seem to care.

"Ask her a _question?_ " Gray chortled, "I wonder which one! You can't be _serious_? You don't even have to ask."

" _Gray._ " Juvia frowned in warning from her place beside her husband's throne, but he didn't listen.

"No." His laughter abruptly cut off, "The answer is no. It will _always_ be no. She would _never-_ pft, as if we'd let her."

"Gray, _stop_." The warning came from Loke this time.

"Why should I?" Gray raged, pushing Loke away from him, "He doesn't love her. He could _never_ love her. Monsters don't feel like we do."

Natsu almost told him that he used to think the same, but he bit his tongue. What good would it do? He could feel Lucy's sadness and rage through the bond, but also her desire to protect him. His eyes flittered towards her, unsurprised to find light swirling around her fists as she starred at Gray in shock.

"This marriage isn't about love," A blonde, scarred man who stood behind the King's throne seemed to be reminding Gray, "It's about an alliance."

"An alliance," Gray laughed, but without humour this time, "He'll marry her and take her away from her home- as opposed to taking her _home_ from _her_ like he did last time- and then kill her just to spite us."

Lucy noticeably flinched at the mention of her homeland, but still didn't say a word. Her silence was worrying him. He was still staring at her, waiting for her to speak, when Gray addressed him directly.

"Go on," He urged him, "Ask your question. The quicker you're rejected the quicker I can kill you."

Natsu growled.

"I'd like to see you try, Ice For Brains."

"ENOUGH." Lucy finally screamed.

The light that had been coiling around her fists gleamed, sending a shock through everyone as her magic shot out accidently. Natsu lifted a hand against the light as it blinded him momentarily. When he regained his vision, Lucy was crying.

His stomach sank as he realised the white haired woman that had caught them in the forest had rushed to her aid, whispering something in her ear that he couldn't decipher.

"I agree with Princess Heartfilia, this is quite enough. There shall be no killing in my throne room." At this, the King sent a scowl in Gray's direction. Natsu would have laughed had the sight not been so terrifying. Instead he watched as the King waited for Lucy to wipe away her tears. When she nodded at him in thanks, King Makarov spoke again: "Prince Dragneel, you may ask your question."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Natsu stepped forward. The guards tensed, but at a word from their King they parted to let him pass. In the past, Natsu would have bared his teeth at them as he passed. But at present, there were more pressing matters at hand.

As he made his way to the base of the steps that led to the throne platform Natsu noticed a group of men standing off to the side. Each man clearly came from a different land and were dressed in the most alluring finery their country had to offer. They were his contenders, Natsu realised. Their fine garb made him conscious of his own dishevelled state.

He shook the thoughts from his mind. Finery wasn't important to Lucy. It didn't matter to her what he wore, or apparently what he looked like. She had seen him bare, in more than just the literal sense, and she still accepted him. Claimed that she loved him.

Still, he was nervous.

Once he reached the base of the steps, Natsu knelt down on one knee. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to do this. In the stories he'd read as a child, it was as simple as asking for her hand. Proclaiming 'I love you!' as he sunk to his knees in passion. But Natsu was not the prince in a story, and this was not a fairy tale. His contenders had most likely offered her riches and land, whole armies even, before they asked for her hand.

Feeling the weight of all eyes on him, Natsu bowed his head to gather his courage. How would he say it? Was it obvious he wanted peace- even despite whatever his brother was planning- just from his being here, or did he have to say it outright? Would she even say yes? It was one thing to whisper promises when they were hidden away together, but to swear to him in front of an entire kingdom might be pushing it too far.

As doubt plagued his mind, Natsu's sharp ears caught the sound of a conspiratorial whisper. He raised his head slightly, catching sight of a head of blue fur peeking out from behind Lucy's throne.

Happy was beaming at him from his hiding place. One of only two people in the room that looked at him without a trace of fear. The blue cat was nodding at him encouragingly, flashing him a feline version of a thumbs up.

His furry little friend gave him just the support he needed.

Natsu raised his head. Still kneeling, he straightened his back and looked the girl who held his heart straight in the eye.

"Lucy," He began, disregarding the need for formalities and titles, his voice thick with emotion, "Will you marry me?"

All sound was sucked from the room. The only thing that seemed to move was Lucy's chest as her breathing began to shake. She did not answer him right away, and Natsu could feel nothing precise through the bond. For a moment, he was sure she was going to say no.

But then she moved. Never breaking eye contact, she descended the stairs. Slowly. His muscles were burning by the time she stood before him. The air thick with anticipation.

Natsu forgot about the crowd as she reached out, delicate fingers lifting his chin and encouraging him to rise. It was an effort to do so without stumbling, but he managed it. Lucy's hand moved to cup his cheek when he had risen to his full height. He leaned into her touch, keenly aware that their chests were almost touching. His eyes flickered to her lips, leaning in slightly instinctually.

Lucy closed the distance between them. Natsu closed his eyes as he was overwhelmed by her warmth, her taste, her scent. He'd missed it all. He'd missed _her._ So much. It was a miracle he managed to restrain himself from wrapping his arms around her and kissing her back with all the ferocity of his raw emotions. Instead, he held himself back. Allowing her to kiss him just once. Firmly, with an ease that he was sure would make it obvious how many times they'd kissed before.

After what seemed like an infinite moment, she pulled away. Only slightly. She whispered one word to him, the room so quiet that the small sound echoed anyway.

"Yes."

* * *

 **A/N: I have risen from the grave! I am really _really_ sorry for not updating for over a whole month. I've been in a really bad place recently where I've found myself unmotivated and unable to write. It's been a struggle to even write things for my uni assignments so unfortunately there's probably going to be more delays with this. I have an essay to do over christmas, but I'm hoping to finish it and then using the rest of the holidays to complete this! Again, I'm so so so sorry! I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it's likely awful because the flow hasn't yet fully returned ahaha. Please let me know what you think!**

 **\- HN**


	22. Reunion

**NSFW scenes this chapter marked with purity marks (***) for anyone that doesn't want to read them!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

Reunion

There was an uproar.

While Natsu's heart was busy soaring from his chest to the furthest reaches of the sky, the throne room erupted in chaos. Protests and shouts of disbelief filled the room along with ugly curses, but none of them reached Natsu. None of them reached Lucy either. They were too focused on each other.

The rest of the world could wait.

Natsu leaned his forehead against hers, watching as she closed her eyes in contentment. A small smile on her lips despite the tear streaking down her cheek. He wiped it away with a clawed hand, knowing from the bond that it was a tear of joy. Relief. Happiness.

"We can't hide in the noise forever," She reminded him in a whisper, knowing he would hear despite the shouts that surrounded them, "Meet me at the cavern when this is over?"

He nodded in agreement before the uproar reached its climax.

"SILENCE." King Makarov bellowed.

The command had the desired effect. Within the instant all voices stopped. All eyes turned to the King, but Makarov was looking solely at Lucy.

"You are sure about this child?" His voice was grave.

Lucy nodded.

"She's delusional!" Gray cried, his eyes panicked and his voice pleading, "It-It has to be his poison! He's manipulating her, we can't let her do this!"

"I've studied the effects of Lucy's… _condition_ closely," Loke informed Gray calmly, "It gives The Demon Prince no control over her."

"Oh, so it only whittles away at her life then does it?" Gray joked bitterly, running his hands through his hair in frustration, "How _convenient_ for him."

Natsu tensed. How _dare_ that icy prick make a joke out of the biggest mistake of his life as though it was nothing. As though he didn't regret it every day. He opened his mouth to say as much, but was interrupted by the King once again demanding silence.

" _Lord Fullbuster_ this is not your decision to make. I trust in Princess Heartfilia to avenge her people and aid us in the Fairy Tail alliance. That being said," The King turned his attention back to Lucy, "Are you sure about this child? Marrying the enemy does not guarantee peace. He has promised you nothing."

"He has given me everything." Lucy replied without hesitation.

Her voice was strong, carrying the weight of her words so that everyone could hear and leaving no room for doubt. Her eyes broke away from the King only to stare down everyone in the room. When her eyes found Gray, who was still shaking his head in denial, she turned back to Natsu. Her eyes never leaving his as she spoke.

"Most of you look at him, and see a monster. But have you ever wondered what he sees? What you have made him see, because you were all too afraid of being burned by the fire. I will not deny that I saw him once in the same way as you do now. The way he sees himself. But… Natsu is _not_ a monster. He has merely been forced to be one. I trust Natsu. With my life, with peace. If I can love him even after he burned my home to the ground, surely you all have enough faith in my judgement to trust that my affections are not misplaced. Surely, whatever his crimes, you can forgive him?"

Despite the fact his vision had blurred, Natsu knew who stood before him. _This_ was his Lucy. Strong and passionate. Unrelenting in her emotions. Loyal beyond a doubt. The true leader to the remnants of her people. Not just a worshipper, but a commander of the stars. Of light itself.

A Queen.

"Aye!" A small blue form shouted from behind the King, "Natsu is a good person, and he _looooooves_ Lucy. I know he'll bring us peace!"

Natsu laughed despite himself. Despite where he was and who surrounded him. What could await him. Tears stained his scaled cheeks.

"Thanks little buddy." He smiled at Happy.

Lucy was smiling too. He noticed her hands were shaking, but he suspected it was due to nerves. Or perhaps adrenaline. She had shown a fair amount of bravery today. He'd never thought himself so lucky to know her.

He glanced away from her to see the other members of Fairy Tail's alliance exchanging looks. He didn't begrudge them for it. In fact, he rather admired them for it. Even that idiot Fullbuster. Of course part of their reasons were that they all hated him. But they were also looking out for Lucy. It was simply proof of how much they cared for her.

She seemed to inspire that feeling in a lot of people.

"Very well then," Makarov announced, "I suppose a congratulations are in order."

Natsu ignored Gray's muttered protests and bowed his head to the King in thanks. Tired and drained beyond belief, he was about to turn to leave, hoping to perhaps nap in the clearing before meeting Lucy there, when he remembered something.

His orders.

"You are to deliver her to me under the next full moon," He informed the King, "In a months' time."

Makarov's eyes narrowed. Natsu noticed Lucy looking at him, her brow furrowed in confusion, but kept his eyes on the King. Makarov seemed to understand he was repeating orders and nodded in understanding. More understanding than he had the means to know.

"Very well. We shall meet on Ishgar's battleground. Where Mavis fell."

"Until then." Natsu bowed, then turned to go.

He heard the whispers as he left. The scuttle of feet as people rushed to Lucy, but he did not turn back. Instead he gathered the last of his strength and took off, his wings straining against the wind. This time, he did not bother to hide the course of his flight as he turned in the air and headed towards the woods in which the cavern lay.

When the clearing finally came into view, Natsu had to fight from simply falling out of the sky with relief. He could barely keep himself in the air he was so exhausted, and it came as no surprise when he stumbled and collapsed upon landing.

As he lay on the ground hoping to regain some of his strength as his breathing calmed, his eyes drifted to the tree where the roots gave way to the caverns entrance. His throat tightened. He couldn't. He couldn't go down there after being locked up in the darkness for so long.

His own weakness angered him, his claws digging into the dirt. He should have asked Lucy to marry him a long time ago. When they were alone, and of his own accord. Not because Zeref had ordered him to. He _did_ truly want to belong to Lucy in every way, but asking her now… he felt like nothing but a pawn.

The exhaustion must have gotten the better of him, for when he next opened his eyes the air was colder and the skies a little darker. Natsu groaned, cursing himself for having fallen asleep.

"Natsu?" A voice whispered.

He sat bolt upright. Once his eyes found the source of the voice he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the ache in his skull. Lucy had found him. She was still dressed in all her golden finery but her make-up had been smudged, as though she'd been crying.

They rushed the last few steps between them, colliding together in a tangle of arms and hurried kisses.

" _Oh gods_ ," Lucy whispered, a fresh wave of tears spilling from her eyes as she held him close, their foreheads pressing against each other, "I missed you. Natsu, I miss you. I love you I am so sorry, so sorry I-"

"Sshh Lucy," Natsu half laughed through his own tears, "I missed you too. It wasn't-"

"Natsu," She cut him off, her hands cradled his face as she pulled away slightly. Her eyes were full of pain, "What did they _do_ to you? The pain that I felt- _gods._ How're you still-"

"I'm fine." He assured her, "I'm sorry you had to feel all that Lucy."

"Did you just apologise for being _tortured_?" She gaped at him.

"I didn't tell them a thing, I swear."

"I didn't think that you would." She confessed. Her faith in him made his heart ache as she kissed him once more, "How did you escape?"

Natsu grimaced. He pried her hands away from his face. He knew he had to tell her the truth, but he was afraid she would hate him for it. He didn't want her to think of him as a pawn, as somebody that was just using her.

"Zeref… he let me go." He told her, "He ordered me to come here. To ask you to marry me. I'm so sorry Lucy."

Lucy recoiled.

"So you… _don't_ want to marry me?"

"Gods, _yes_ ," He pleaded, closing the distance between them and lightly grasping her arms, "Of course I want to. I want to more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. And the one before it. I just… I wished I'd asked you sooner. It may be a part of whatever twisted scheme Zeref is planning, but I do genuinely want to be with you Lucy. Always."

"So that's why you made such strange arrangements with Makarov?" She guessed, "Those were Zeref's orders?"

"Yes." He admitted, "I don't know what he's planning. Honestly, I thought that he was telling me to go to Fairy Tail so that they'd kill me in front of you. But it seems he seems to be planning something else."

Her eyes filled with horror when Natsu voiced his suspicion. He watched as the horror burned into anger, readying himself for her to take it all back. To tell him she would never marry him if that's what Zeref wanted.

" _I'm going to kill him._ " She growled.

"W-What?"

"Zeref. I will _end_ him. I am sick of him toying with our lives. Treating our mortality as though it's all a game. One big joke. He wants me to get married on a battlefield? Fine. I'll kill him and I'll step over his corpse on the way down the aisle because I love you and I'll be _damned_ if I ever let him come between us. If he ever so much as touches you again-"

Natsu was stunned. He'd never seen Lucy so angry before. Her eyes were filled with such blazing fury, the sight almost scared him. When he placed his hands gently on her shoulders however, her words trailed off and her anger dimmed.

"I'm alright," He assured her, "I'm alright."

As she calmed, he leaned in closer. A small smile twitched at her lips just before she titled her head, welcoming the kiss. He'd intended for it to be a slow, sweet kiss. One to quell the last of her anger. But once their lips touched and the taste of her found its way to his tongue, an altogether different fire started.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. She hummed in pleasure as his tongue entered her mouth, relishing in the taste of her. Her hands fanned across his chest before finding their way to the nape of his neck where they tangled in soft pink hair. Just as they always used to. Just how he'd missed.

Lucy had clearly missed this feeling too. Without letting go of him she began to step backwards until her back hit a tree. Natsu pressed her against the bark so that his chest was flush against hers. Her nails dragged across the panes of his chest, as though desperate to undress him despite the fact his chest was already bare. When her fingers grazed the mark of Tartarus branded into his skin, he couldn't help but flinch.

She noticed the catch in his breath and pulled away slightly. He watched her as she looked at the mark before placing her palm over the mark. He clenched his teeth. Of course she wouldn't want to look at that ugly reminder. Not wanting to see the pity in her eyes when she looked at him, he focused instead on claiming her jaw, her neck. Littering it with tender kisses. ***

Hearing her moan as his teeth grazed her skin almost drove him crazy. He was desperate to touch her more. To feel more of her. He wanted to tear her dress from her skin but was afraid of making her bleed.

His hands rested on her waist as he pondered how best to proceed, waiting for sign from Lucy so he knew what she wanted. She sensed his hesitation and responded immediately. Apparently she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

She lifted one leg to wrap around his waist, her dress falling to expose her thigh. As his hands wandered to the newly exposed skin, hers travelled to the hem of his pants.

The action made him growl. He felt her smirk against his skin as she pressed a kiss to his collar bone while her hand slipped into his pants. Natsu responded by bending slightly, tucking his hands behind her knees and lifting her legs so that they wrapped around his waist.

Lucy gasped, quickly grabbing his shoulders in order to steady herself. Natsu chuckled at her surprised expression before he ground his hips against hers, watching in satisfaction as her head tipped back. Her eyes sliding shut in pleasure.

He repeated the action, allowing one of his hands to slide gently up her leg as he did so. His hand travelled slowly, basking in the feel of her soft, supple flesh beneath his scaled fingers. He meant to tear away all the remaining layers between them, but he froze in surprise as he realised there was one less layer than he thought.

"Surprise." Lucy purred when she noticed his startled features.

His pants suddenly felt a lot more restrictive than they had a moment ago as his length gave a pain throb. That smug expression on her face set the fire inside him ablaze. He'd missed every inch of her _so much._

The same feelings of love, of desire and relief, flittered through Lucy's eyes. She kissed him again with a new vigour, her ankles digging into his spine as she urged him closer. As close as two bodies could be.

He complied with her wishes. He freed himself of his pants as Lucy bunched up the folds of her dress that had fallen between her legs. His hands gripped her rear as he lifted her, pushing her against the tree harder before he lowered her onto him.

They sighed in unison at the overwhelming sensation. Natsu looked at her as he gave her a moment. She hadn't even paused to cast off her crown before she came to him. Even with her dress bunched around her hips she looked to radiant. He took in the sight of how her jaw loosened and a gasp passed her lips as he moved slowly inside of her.

Beautiful.

Wanting something louder than a gasp, Natsu continued his motions. He held her in place, gripping her thighs as he trust into her, pushing her harder against the tree. She pulled at his hair, urging his mouth closer. He complied but his kisses were messy. His mind was hazy and fatigue was pulling at his limbs. He was using all the energy he'd regained earlier on moving his hips in time with hers.

"Natsu?" Lucy whispered in his ear as he panted against her neck.

He looked up at her shyly. Her voice had held a note of lust but it hadn't been filled with it. It seemed he was flagging, not pleasing her the way he wanted to.

"You're tired, aren't you?"

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Not tired enough to say no to you."

He moved his hips to help prove his point. Lucy hummed, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Put me down." She ordered gently.

Confused and a little anxious, Natsu did as she asked. He lifted her off him before untangling her legs and settling her down. She caught his lips in a sweet kiss as he straightened.

"Lie down." She whispered against his lips.

Still a little dazed from the loss of contact, Natsu shot her a puzzled look. She giggled slightly, resting her hands on his shoulders and pushing down slightly. He did as she encouraged and settled down on the grass. She smiled down at him before sitting down herself, a knee either side of his hips.

Her hand cupped the back of his neck as she pulled him in for a kiss. As their lips clashed, her other hand wandered beneath the fabric of her dress that had pooled at their hips, gentling taking his still-exposed length in her hand.

Natsu sighed as she caressed him slowly before guiding him to her core. He moaned against her jaw as she lowered herself onto him. He leaned back fully on the grass as she moved her hips. His back arched as he lay down, trusting his hips up into her.

"Y-you can let me do all the work." She breathed out, even as he watched her bite her lip to keep from moaning.

He reached up to touch her face, and it was then that he realised his hands were still clawed. His skin still speckled with scales. They had never done this before when he was… like this. He stared at his hand suspended between them, not quite comprehending how she could want him while he still looked like a monster. Even after all this time.

Pale fingers laced with his clawed ones. Pale fingers that guided his scaled palm to her flushed cheek. Lucy kissed his palm softly as she rolled her hips, sending sparks dancing through his veins.

Even though Lucy wanted him to lie back and enjoy this, he loved her too much to leave her unsatisfied. He continued to move his hips just slightly, but it was enough that it encouraged the languid movements of her hips to pick up the pace. He watched her in fascination as she rode him. Each one of her movements sent shockwaves through him.

When she mewled and leant forward, bracing herself against his chest with splayed fingers, he knew she was close. He was too. He could feel the pressure building. Lucy's hips were rolling against his hard as she eased them both towards the end. Natsu clutched at her thighs, gritting his teeth as he moved his own hips, attempting to hold himself together for Lucy's sake.

After one last desperate grind against him, he felt her clench around him, allowing himself to let go of the building pressure inside of him. Lucy moaned. Natsu opened his eyes and saw her sitting astride him, a light sheen of sweat matting her hair to her forehead as he chest heaved, her crown slightly askew. The latter made him laugh breathlessly, causing Lucy to look down at him with a smile before collapsing on top of him. ***

"I've missed you." He sighed against her skin as he wrapped his arms around her.

Lucy hummed in response, kissing his cheek sweetly before rolling off him. Natsu righted his pants before turning on his side to face her. The backs of her fingers caressed his face as they lay together, peaceful in the quiet of the clearing.

"You should rest," Lucy said softly as his eyelids drooped, "You must be exhausted."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course." She smiled.

Lucy placed a kiss to his forehead before moving closer to him. His hand absently stroked her side as her breaths tickled his bare chest. His fingers travelled across the dip in her waist before following the curve of her behind, and finally soothing across the smooth skin of her still exposed thigh. He frowned to himself when he felt dints in her flesh, shifting slightly when he realised his fingers were a little damp.

Natsu looked to where his hand hovered just above Lucy's thigh. His breath caught in his throat. He had cut her. When he'd been clutching her thighs, his mind filled with the feeling of her, he had hurt her. Drawn her blood even as she made love to him.

Disgusted with himself, Natsu looked to Lucy, a pleading apology already on his lips. But her eyes were closed and she rested contentedly by his chest. Unaware of her bleeding. Natsu grimaced as he finally decided not to disturb her, pulling her dress down to cover the punctures of his claws.

He fell asleep wondering if he would ever stop causing her pain.

* * *

 **A/N: 500 FOLLOWERS! Thank you to each and every one of you, it means so much that you liked this story enough to follow it and review it. As a special thanks, here's another chapter. Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it! I hope each one of you has a fabulous time during the holidays. Thanks again and I hope you like this chapter; please let me know what you think!**


	23. Together We Fall

Chapter Twenty-Three

Together We Fall

Promising peace and ending a war were two very different things.

After his night with Lucy, Natsu had returned to Zeref- still beaten and exhausted- to relay the news. His feet had barely touched the ground when his brother had emerged, offing his congratulations with that plotting smile still on his lips.

Despite whatever ulterior motives he so clearly had planned, Zeref stuck by his words. He ordered his forces to withdraw from the battlefronts, commanded that they abandon land that had previously belong to Makarov or the other rulers. His army drew away reluctantly, but they dared not disobey their master's commands.

Not everyone was so quick to follow Zeref's orders, however. More prominent members of his army postponed the retreat as long as they could. The more daring of units even launched their own attacks against the enemy in the hopes of reigniting Lord Zeref's passion for war and destruction. But their ruler did not tolerate disobedience, and the moment they'd received word from the Fairy Tail alliance that their lands were still being attacked-their people still be slaughtered- Natsu was sent in to make sure Zeref's deserters heard his orders in their bones.

As both Zeref and Natsu knew, the members of Fairy Tail were not the type to lie back and take a hit. They sent their own forces to deal with relentless units of Zeref's army, and Natsu had often encountered them on the battlefield.

It felt strange for him to fight beside them, even if razor points of ice were still sent in his direction occasionally with a muttered 'oops' of apology from the intolerable Lord Fullbuster. Strange, but not uncomfortable. Other, non-ice-wielding, members of Fairy Tail had seemly overcame their reluctance to right with him and not against him, and he knew he had Lucy to thank for it. Whatever she told them about him, they had given him a chance and he had greatly accepted it. Lucy did nothing to hide the way she felt for him when they were around others now, and so he did the same. He stuck by her in battle, protecting her when needed.

And she did need protecting.

It was unnerving. Having fought against her himself, he knew she was a proficient fighter. At first he thought her lapses in battle had perhaps had something to do with his presence, but after he gave her time to adjust to fighting together and her stumbles continued, his worry grew. She would be fighting somewhere near, her form pristine as usual, until all of a sudden whatever weapon of light she was wielding would flicker. Whatever strike or parry she'd intended lacked the strength behind it. Sometimes the blunder would be a simple enough one to recover from, other times, she was lucky she wasn't fighting alone.

He was sure it was his fault. That it was the darkness he'd planted inside of her. Whenever he asked about it though, Lucy would change the subject. The stars she used to love so dearly to talk to him about had somehow became a forbidden topic, and he didn't know why. So he'd returned to Zeref's library after a rather tense meeting with her- during which she'd snapped at him uncharacteristically several times and apologies immediately after- and scoured his brothers' books. He returned first to the book that told of the power transference ritual, but it offered him no more answers than it had the first time. He turned a thousand pages of hundreds of books, reading anything to do with the stars, light, even demons and the darkness he belonged him. But nothing told him how to heal her, how to save her.

A part of him knew that her stars could do it. Those keys could save her, he just didn't know _how._ It had dawned on him then. If her stars could save her… why hadn't they already?

He knew they had done it before.

So he flew to her once more. With each beat of his wings his mind whirred with the possibilities of what he was going to say to her. How he could demand answers. The guards stationed on the walls of Makarov's palace let him come and go as he pleased now. He knew which chambers were Lucy's. They were situated on the western side of the castle, her balcony looked out over the gardens, and it was there he always made his landings.

Now, in the early evening light, the balcony doors stood open with the soft white drapes fluttering out into the breeze. He landed lightly at the furthest reaches of the balcony as the crickets in the garden began to hum. The gentle chimes of a music box drifted out from the well-lit room, causing Natsu to smile softly to himself.

His eyes settled on the empty bed and a blush dusted his cheeks, remembering the first time Lucy had let him listen to the music box's soft melody. It had chimed quietly in the background, coming to a gentle stop not long after the innocent brushes of lips had become a lot more heated.

His train of thought stayed on much the same course when Lucy wandered into view. She hadn't noticed him yet. She paced slowly by the foot of her bed as she hummed along to her music box, a momentum from her burned city. His bride to be looked deep in thought as she twisted her loose hair between her fingers. He loved to watch her, but he loved to watch her even more when she seemed to be wearing nothing but his red coat that he'd left behind the night after they'd first made love. He remembered the way she'd teasingly let it fall from her shoulder the morning after and a surge of heat ran through his blood.

Just as he was about to make his presence known, a glow of light pulsed from her room.

"Virgo?" Lucy asked to a figure he couldn't see as she paused in her pacing.

"Good evening Princess." A feminine voice replied.

Lucy shook her head. The motion looked sad.

"I'm sorry Virgo," She sighed, "You can't be here. I can't sustain-"

"I am here on my own power Princess," The voice assured her. Natsu frowned. "I do not wish to strain you Princess. But you may punish me if you wish."

The statement sounded odd to Natsu, but Lucy merely chuckled under her breath. She looked in what he assumed was Virgo's direction with a look of fondness, and it was then that he deduced that Virgo was one of her stars. A spirit of light connected to a key embedded in her armour.

Natsu felt bad the moment he decided, but he slinked back into the shadows, jumping over the balcony and holding himself against the railing with nothing but air beneath him. He could see into Lucy's room from the gaps in the stone, and he could hear just as well. He was snooping, but he couldn't help himself. Lucy's spirits always seemed to guard their tongues when he was around, and he wondered what they had to say.

"You've nothing to be punished for." Lucy laughed lightly, "What can I do for you Virgo?"

"Big Brother sent me to check on you Princess."

"Oh Loke…" Lucy mumbled to herself before turning back to Virgo, "Tell him he worries too much."

"We all worry Princess." Virgo came forward and rested a hand on Lucy's shoulder, coming into Natsu's view. The spirit of The Maiden was a lithe girl dressed in a maid's costume. The black of her outfit and the chains that dangled from her wrists contrasted her short crop of pink hair, but Natsu was not surprised at her oddness. Loke did have cat ears after all. "Even Pisces and Libra remain concerned for you, though you entrusted their power to Yukino."

At the mention of the white-haired girl who shared her homeland, Lucy's brow furrowed. Natsu felt the steady tide of worry through the bond before it lulled back into silence. Her emotions flickered in her eyes when she turned to Virgo.

"Do you… like Yukino, Virgo? She has faith in abundance. Trust and loyalty. Do you think you would be happy in her care?"

"Yukino is a wonderful master. She is worthy of the power you entrusted to her." Virgo replied calmly, "But I serve _you._ "

"Virgo…"

"If we are a burden to you Princess, you need only call and we shall come of our own accord-"

"I may have weakened, Virgo, but I can still summon. I can still wield."

"Sparingly." Virgo frowned. Lucy flinched.

Natsu scowled. A lot of what they were saying wasn't making much sense to him, but he gathered enough to guess that this was a conversation Virgo had wished to have for a while, which meant Lucy had been avoiding it. It made his stomach churn. Lucy was so trusting. What could she be hiding from her spirits? From him?

As Natsu pondered, Lucy realised a sigh and set her shoulders. It was as though she was accepting her fate. Whatever was causing the tension between Lucy and her spirits, she was deciding to face it.

"It had to start somewhere, and it has. You and Loke, all of the others, you should stop your worrying and prepare for you keys to change hands."

"Aquarius worries too." Virgo informed her with a quiver to her lips, "She says she hates you for making her want to save you."

"That sounds like her." Lucy smiled sadly.

"Princess, I- We have tried. We have all tried. Even together, we can't reform her key. Even the Spirit King tried, but he is old. His mind cannot hold all the secrets of his time. The knowledge is lost to him."

"I am thankful." Lucy smiled even as she tears raced down her cheeks when she took Virgo's hands, "But I only ever asked for time. And a little more light."

Virgo nodded vigorously despite her own tears.

"And we shall give it to you. As much as we can. Enough to shine in the darkness."

The two shared an embrace that lasted for a few moments. Natsu was still processing what their words could mean. She needed time- for what? To form a plan? To find a cure? But the light. Sure she would need light for a cure? In all this time, Lucy had seemed to accept the darkness that had grown slowly inside of her. She didn't complain or blame him. In all his own searching, he hadn't thought about who else might be looking.

His attention was drawn back to the girls as they pulled away from each other. He noticed the way Lucy was biting her lip. The slight slump in her shoulders.

"Speaking of darkness…" She tried to smile nervously.

Virgo nodded in grim understanding and his mind whirred. His grip on the railings of the balcony tightened and his arms shook with the strain of holding himself up for so long, but he didn't let go. He watched as Lucy moved. She climbed onto the bed, kneeling with her back to the balcony doors as Virgo moved to the side.

The spirit held out her arms and Lucy moved to remove the heavy red coat that had once been his. As he'd suspected, she was bare underneath, but there wasn't an atom in his body that felt lust at the sight of the pale skin of her back.

Instead he was filled with horror.

His breathing became ragged, his throat constricting around a sob. From the scar on her neck, the black veins travelled down and down and down. They spanned across her shoulder blades, arched across the bones of her ribs and wound their way down her spine. Even as he looked he could see them moving, pulsing beneath her skin.

And it was all because of him.

He felt sick. His grip on the balcony faltered and he made no attempt to stop his fall. As he hit the ground he realised belatedly that he could have broken a wing, snapped a horn, but he didn't care. Let him feel the pain. None of it would compare to how Lucy must feel with what was inside of her. That foreign uninvited _thing_ that wormed its way beneath her skin. Poisoning her heart just as he had poisoned her life.

If Lucy or Virgo had heard the sound from his fall, they did not come to inspect the cause of the noise. He didn't stop to see her. He knew in his state he would offer nothing but useless apologies and she would hate him for it. He didn't even pause to see why she had shown Virgo the darkness.

He hated himself for not noticing its progress sooner, even if the last time he'd seen Lucy unclothed had been almost two weeks ago, it was no excuse. How many times had he placed soft kisses against her scar? How many times had he sighed into her skin when he tried to call the darkness back and it had resisted his pull?

It was consuming her and he knew it. But he didn't know how to stop it. _Damn it._ He took off, not caring who saw his departure. He soared past the clouds and to the highest points of the sky and it was only when he felt the ice on his skin and the strain for air in his lungs that he let out a scream so filled with grief, regret, hatred for himself, for all the things that he'd ever done in both of his miserable lives, that it tore at his throat.

He let himself fall. Plummeting to the earth as the tears came. He debated not bothering to save himself from hitting the earth at all, because a part of him had known all along. From the moment he'd met her, he'd condemned Lucy to die.

She'd burned for him like a candle. She had brought light into his life.

And whether or not Zeref had his way, eventually, she'd be snuffed out.

* * *

 **A/N: A belated happy new year! So A War On Two Fronts (now that I've done all my planning mostly) only has 4/5 chapters left! It is coming to a close! HOW WILL ALL OF THE ISSUES BE RESOLVED?! You'll just have to wait and see! Hoped you like the angst this chapter and thank you as always for the lovely reviews! Please keep them coming!**

 **-HN**


	24. How Things Change

Chapter Twenty-four

How Things Change

"Not long now, Natsu." Zeref all but giggled as Natsu strolled into his brother's study, "Not long now."

Natsu grit his teeth. Ever since Lucy had accepted his proposal, his brother had been so _smug._ He was acting as though he'd won the war already; even has he continued to call to his forces to retreat.

Zeref stood by the window, surveying the wastelands beneath their fortress. He had been in good spirits recently. It put Natsu on edge, even more than he already was. It had been two weeks since he'd eavesdropped on Lucy. Two weeks since he'd seen her.

He tried- he tried desperately. All he wanted was to see her. To feel her soothing touches and to make sure she was alright. To assure himself that the nightmare that had painted itself on her back wasn't spreading. Part of him worried she no longer wanted to marry him. She scheduled meetings via Happy, but she never showed up. Even when Natsu flew to the castle to see her, someone always got in the way.

It was driving him mad.

"You summoned me?" Natsu inquired, growing impatient.

Zeref must have sensed the unease in his voice, for his brother turned to him with an eyebrow raised in amusement. Oh, what Natsu wouldn't give to wipe that look off his face.

"That I did, brother. That I did." Zeref sighed as he took a seat behind his large wooden desk, "Tell me, was it difficult procuring a suit? Was it hard to find a tailor to accommodate your wings?"

It was a struggle for Natsu to suppress a growl. He waited a beat for his brothers laughter, which eventually came in an amused chortle as Natsu stood there, waiting. He did not enjoy being summoned just to be laughed at.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Zeref sighed to himself as he pretended to wipe an amused tear from the corner of his eye, "You haven't gotten yourself a suit yet. Not that you'll be needing one anyway."

"Get to the point." Natsu snapped.

A cruel glint flashed in Zeref's eyes. Natsu knew his brother wanted a rise out of him, but he didn't have the patience to control himself anymore. His life had turned into a spiral of worry and paranoia. Zeref was plotting something and he didn't know what. Something was wrong with Lucy and he didn't know how to fix it. He'd never felt so useless in all his life.

"My point is: Princesses don't marry monsters, and I have no intentions of changing that despite what you may think." Zeref smirked, his red eyes full of malice.

He waited for Natsu's reaction, but after however long his brother had tortured him, words barely hurt anymore. Sure, they stung. But in the end Natsu had been beaten and branded. The word 'monster' came to him every time he looked in the mirror. It used to bother him so much he'd actively avoided his reflection. But coming from Zeref's lips now… the word meant close to nothing.

Natsu knew that he may _look_ like a monster, but his brother was the one overflowing with monstrosity.

"However, that isn't why I summoned you here." Zeref continued, sitting back in his chair with his hands laced together across his stomach. _So relaxed,_ Natsu thought, _as if he hadn't a care in the world._ "I think we have all made a note of my generosity as of late. But while my wedding gift to you is being prepared, I can't help but feel as though I've been neglecting you brother. How are you these days?"

Natsu was caught off guard. His brother had called him here… for a chat? And what was this about a wedding gift? Natsu couldn't imagine that it would be anything he would actually want. The thought filled him with dread.

"I'm fine." He answered curtly.

"And yet I hear you haven't been sleeping?"

Natsu's jaw clenched so hard he thought his teeth might break. It was true. And most likely obvious. He felt exhausted, so he most likely looked it too. For the past week he'd been plagued with nightmares. Or rather, _nightmare._ It was the same one each night.

His mind would be blank, and then suddenly it was as though a fire would ignite itself. The flames grew and grew, filling the darkness until it became clear what was fuelling the fire. Marble columns under a starlit sky. He was back in the Celestial Plains. Worse than seeing Lucy's homeland burned again and again was that in the dream, he felt as though he were _enjoying_ it.

He'd catch himself, and just as his whole body filled with horror at what he'd done, the screams would start. He'd run through the flames to find out who was calling, but he never found them. Faceless citizens of the Celestial Plains would beg him for mercy as he passed, but he could do nothing to save them. While he slept, his magic was beyond his reach. Even though he knew by then it was a dream, it didn't stop him from trying to save the innocents.

But then a voice would call out. A voice almost as familiar to him as his own. Every night after the first, he knew what was coming when he turned around. And still every night, the vision made his heart stop. Not because it was so filled with love or awe or any of the emotions he usually felt when he looked at her. Instead he was sure his heart stopped beating out of terror.

Because when he turned around, the flames parted, and every night he came face to face with Lucy. Lucy as a Queen, but not the queen she should be. Her crown was made of bone and her throne was a tangled mountain of bodies, some no longer whole. Bodies of her own people. Of her allies. Managed and bruised, some still breathing even as she laughed from atop her throne. She would reach out her hand, and as she reached for him the black veins would slither down her fingers and caress her face. One of her beautiful brown eyes would fill with darkness as the veins spread further across her face, and it was then that he always woke up screaming her name.

"It's just a nightmare." Natsu insisted even as the memory haunted him.

"You worry about her." Zeref grinned as though he knew what lay in Natsu's nightmares, "Allow me to put that worry at ease. You are to go to Hargeon and assist Fairy Tail in disposing of those who refuse to follow my orders. Go, and help your… friends."

"Dispose?" Natsu questioned, "You want them dead?"

Zeref nodded.

"I have no use for soldiers who cannot follow orders."

He gave Natsu a pointed look.

"Fairy Tail won't kill them," Natsu reminded him, ignoring the lingering look, "Even if they are their enemies."

"And why do you think I'm sending you?" Zeref drawled.

Natsu frowned.

"You assume I have no qualms about killing my own?"

Zeref laughed. Sharp and humourless.

"I think that you do now." He rose from his chair, "But I also assume that you no longer think of my men as your own."

Natsu opened his mouth to deny it, but no sound came out. He shuffled under Zeref's harsh stare, nodding at the ground as he accepted his brother's orders.

"I'll see that it is done." He muttered before turning to leave.

His brother called out to him just as his hand came to rest on the door.

"Don't think I don't know where your allegiances lie Natsu," He could feel Zeref's gaze boring into the back of his skull, "You would do well to remember who it was that brought you back from the dead. Would Fairy Tail do the same?"

Natsu didn't even bother to turn around before he left the room, slamming the door to break the heavy silence that he left behind.

Zeref didn't do anything for nothing. Natsu knew there had to be a purpose to everything this brother had said. Not just his orders. His brain scrambled for answers as he made his way to the courtyard to take off. Bringing up the nightmares was Zeref showing he knew Natsu's signs of weakness. Mocking his lack of attire for the wedding made him more anxious about Lucy.

He let out a frustrated grunt as he threw open the doors to the courtyard. Natsu always deduced his brother's cunning a step too late. He was smart, but Zeref was always one step ahead of him. And it didn't help that Natsu was prone to let himself be driven by his emotions.

A reckless trait he'd been berated for many times in both lives.

Natsu took off with a harsh flap of his wings. Once airborne, he headed north-east. To Hargeon. He could be there in half an hour if he pushed himself. As he tried to push his thoughts to the side and focus on his flight, he absently noticed the absence of a certain dragon in the sky above the receding fortress.

So Acnologia was still locked up then?

The thought made him frown. Surely the self-titled 'Dragon King' had served his punishment by now? Natsu beat his wings harder. _What was his brother planning?!_ Natsu held no sympathy for Acnologia. If the dragons torture was simply being dragged out then fine. Let him suffer.

But with Zeref, it was never that simple.

The skies grew overcast the nearer he got to Hargeon, but the winds were with him. Once the city came into view on the horizon his muscles began to burn with the anticipation of a fight. Plumes of smoke rose from the furthest reaches of the city by the ports. Ships has been set alight. Meaning there was only one way out of the city walls.

Once he was near enough to hear the cries of battle, he hovered in the sky over the city. His eyes scanned among the smoke and the rubble, deciding where best to join the fray. By the port he could spot huge waves crashing into the not only the enemy, but the flaming ships as well. The power of Juvia of The Rain People. Well, Princess Juvia as she was known now.

She seemed to have things covered on her end, and Natsu also guessed that wherever she was, her husband was fighting close by. Frankly, Natsu wasn't in the mood to deal with Prince Fullbuster's hatred of him, so he decided to leave the couple to their own devices. He turned his attention to the main gate of the city just as his vision filled with blue fur.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, squishing Natsu's face between his paws, "You came!"

"Of course I did little buddy!" Natsu smiled, patting the little cats head before forcing his expression to turn serious, "Now tell me where I'm needed."

"Aye Sir!" Happy saluted, growing as serious as a blue cat can be.

The cat beat his white feathered wings, turning in the air and darting off towards the centre of the town. Natsu followed, letting the cat lead him to a group of Zeref's soldiers who were terrorizing trapped civilians.

He landed in the centre of a small town square with enough force to splinter the cobblestones beneath his feet. The sound drew the attention of Zeref's men. Some of them looked excited to see him, before they caught the look in his eyes.

"You get one chance." Natsu growled at them, igniting his fists as he looked at them each in turn, " _One chance_ to follow your orders and _retreat_ before I turn you all to dust."

"But my lord!" One soldier shouted. He held a dirt covered little girl by the scruff of her neck. She was shaking and bruised, her eyes filled with terror. "Zeref has betrayed us! He has sold you off to Fairy-"

Natsu moved in a flash. He shot forward, dodging the soldiers in his path to fly straight at the one who had spoken. His fist connected with the man's jaw long before he could finish his sentence. The force sent him flying into the building behind him, cracking the concrete with the force of the impact.

"Anyone else?" Natsu asked the stunned soldiers.

All of them dropped their weapons.

He huffed out smoke from his nose in disgust at their cowardice. At least it made his job easier. He motioned at them to leave, telling them to get out of the city while he was feeling merciful and hope that the members of Fairy Tail would grant them the same curtesy.

Once they had fled, he turned his attention to the girl who had fallen to the ground when he'd struck the soldier. She stared up at him. Eyes wide with fear. He offered her a hand to help her up, but she flinched.

Somethings never changed.

"Happy!" He called to the cat who had been circling in the sky above him, "Round up the civilians into one secure building until the fighting is over. If anyone threatens them, come and find me."

"Aye sir!" Happy chirped before flying down to help up the little girl.

Natsu nodded at the cat in thanks before turning away.

"Aren't you going to thank you?" He heard Happy ask the little girl.

He turned back to them with an amused smile on his face.

The girl looked surprised. Happy whispered something in her ear that seemed to spur her into action. She scrambled to her feet and bowed to him respectively.

"T-thank you for saving my life Mr N-Natsu." She stuttered.

"Erm, it's fine?" Natsu answered sheepishly, nervously scratching at his horns.

His eyes flitted to Happy. The blue cat winked at him, causing Natsu to roll his eyes. But when he turned away he was smiling. He was lucky to have found a friend in Happy.

Natsu ran through the deserted streets, searching for more soldiers to intimate into obedience. The clang of metal on metal rang through the air. He followed the noise, absently wondering if Happy's presence meant Lucy would be here to. The blue cat followed her everywhere unless he was ordered not to.

He could feel nothing through the bond, but he hadn't in a while. It granted him nothing more than the occasional thrum of pain, which were fleeting enough that he assumed they were from Lucy being struck in battle. He hoped there were no serious injuries. If there was, he assumed Happy would have been sent for him. Or he at least would have received word through the more official channels.

It was impossible to stop his sigh of relief when he rounded the corner and saw a shock of blonde hair across the plaza. His relief was momentary however. Under closer inspection, Lucy was not as he had last seen her.

She hadn't noticed him yet. She was in a world of her own as she fought against Zeref's soldiers. She was unrelenting and without mercy. She cut down any in her path, but she did it without the usual grace of her fighting style.

Because she wasn't wielding light.

Her golden key-embedded armour had been replaced by the dull silver of a standard military breast plate. Instead of her various weapons of light, or even a normal whip, she swung an ordinary sword at her enemies. Even as she cried out in battle, her face looked gaunt. Natsu noticed as his initial relief at seeing her faded away that her skin was paler than usual, and her shimmering golden hair lacked the shine that it once held.

He stood frozen as she knocked down an enemy. His emotions warred within him as her opponent scuttled back. He had been disarmed, the threat was neutralised. He was the last enemy Lucy had to face in the plaza, and still she stalked after him like pray.

"Please, Your Grace, I beg of you-"

"Then beg some more." Natsu couldn't see her face, but he was shocked at the coldness of her voice.

Never in all the time that he had known her had her voice chilled him to the bone like that. Never had it sounded so dead, so void of emotion.

The soldiers back hit a piece of fallen rubble. There was nowhere left for him to go. Lucy trailed the tip of her sword along the ground as she walked. Natsu noticed the soldiers eyes dart between her and her blade.

"Please Princess Lucy, I'll swear my allegiance to whoever you please. Please! Just grant me mercy!" The soldier babbled as Lucy stopped in front of him. The solider could knock her legs out from under her, Natsu noticed, but he seemed too consumed by his fear. "Please! Spare me pain and-"

"Pain?" Lucy cut him off, her voice still sounded wrong. "My life has been full of pain." She seemed to muse, but Natsu felt his stomach fill with dread, "Why shouldn't yours be too?"

Without pause, Lucy drove her blade into the man's chest. It was in the wrong side to pierce his heart, but Natsu suspected she knew that as the man's pained screams echoed across the plaza.

The scream was followed by a laugh. Lucy's laugh. The same cold and crazed laugh that had filled his nightmares for the past week. Natsu stared in horror as he watched her twist her sword. Never wavering in her cruel mistreatment of her enemy.

"Lucy!"

Her head snapped to the side, the voice immediately catching her attention. Natsu recognised the voice as Gray's, so he didn't bother to divert his attention away from Lucy. He watched as she turned back to the soldier at her feet, whimpering in pain. It appeared Gray had startled her out of whatever trance she had been in.

Natsu immediately regretted not acting sooner.

A lump formed in his throat as he heard Lucy's shocked gasp at the sight of the man. She pulled her sword from his chest, causing him to slump to one side. Natsu wasn't sure if he was dead or unconscious, but he couldn't spare the thought to care as he watched Lucy turn away from the soldier.

She still hadn't noticed him. She was looking at Gray, disbelieving. The young Prince shared her look of shock, not moving from where he had called to her from the other side of the plaza. Lucy dropped her blade. The clang of the metal on stone rang through the plaza as Lucy looked down at her trembling hands in horror. She made a few strangled sounds, as though she were trying to speak.

Before she dropped to her knees and screamed.

The incoherent, tortured sounds hurt Natsu's ears, but the sight of her hurt his heart more. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at her hands as though they didn't belong to her and screamed.

Natsu stumbled back a bit, feeling as though something inside him just broke as Gray rushed to Lucy's side. The battle of Hargeon must have ended some time ago, for various members of Fairy Tail stood at the edges of the rubble. Watching as one of their core members came undone. Pulling at her hair desperately as though there was something inside her head that she desperately wanted out.

Gray wrapped his arms around her, ignoring all her attempts to push him away until eventually she went limp in his arms, her sobs still wracking her body. Natsu didn't realise he too was crying until he felt a hand settle on his shoulder.

"She didn't want you to see her like this." Juvia said sadly.

The sound of his wife's voice must have caught his attention because Gray looked up then. His eyes met Natsu's. Despite the stray tear mark down his cheek, the look in Gray's eyes was unmistakable.

 _You did this._

Natsu flinched.

"What… what happened?" Juvia asked him tentatively.

"It wasn't her." Natsu shook his head harshly, "It couldn't have been her. She would never-"

He cut himself off as he struggled for breath. Juvia's grip on him tightened.

"It started as nothing more than bouts of anger." Juvia whispered, "She would snap at us for the smallest things. We thought she was simply moody because of-"

Juvia seemed to catch herself. Natsu looked at her with pleading eyes. His voice desperate.

"Because of what?"

Juvia looked pained.

"You should go." She muttered around the lump in her throat.

Natsu turned back to where Gray and Lucy had knelt in the plaza. Her sobs were fainter now, but still undoubtedly there. Gray had gathered her up in his arms like a child, and was now carrying her away. He shot one last look at Natsu, and while there was nothing Natsu wanted to do more than to go to her and comfort her, that look told him otherwise.

He was not welcome.

Lucy had once told him how close she and the Northern Prince were, but he'd never quite believed it at first. In the past, Gray had always seemed to wear a mask of stone. But it seemed his love for Juvia had softened his heart. The way he'd looked at Natsu- not just now but in the past as well- it was clear to him that Gray was fiercely protective of Lucy. Not just her, but his other allies of Fairy Tail as well.

Natsu knew no matter how hard he tried, Gray wouldn't let him near her any time soon.

"Happy told me she was sick." He managed to choke out.

"Happy told you what Lucy asked him to," Juvia didn't meet his eyes, "And it wasn't technically a lie."

"I never thought-" His breathing shook, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Juvia sighed.

"I'm not supposed to know this," She confessed, "But I overheard Gray and Loke talking a few nights ago. There is a way."

Natsu's entire being filled with hope, but Juvia shook her head.

"It requires all twelve keys." Juvia whimpered, "And one of them is broken."

Aquarius's key.

He knew that pieces of it were still embedded in Lucy's armour. He remembered the sad way Lucy had told him the spirit was dead. But that night he had spied on her… Virgo had mentioned the spirit as though she were still alive. Perhaps the spirit and her power were simply out of reach?

Juvia cast Natsu one last sad look as he warred with himself before drifting away to follow her husband and her comrades home. A thought occurred to Natsu as he turned to make his own way back to his sorry excuse of a home.

A thought that, while dreaded, Natsu knew to be true the moment he thought it.

If Zeref could bring him back from the dead, surely he could re-forge a broken key?

* * *

 **A/N: I've worked it out and apparently this story is going to end on an odd number or chapters. Whhhhhhyyyyy. I guess that's the least of your worries right now though ;) Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Happy early Valentines Day! If you're spending it alone then this is my gift to you! Hope you like it! As always, thanks so much for the reviews last chapter and please keep them coming. I love hearing your thoughts on the story's progression!**

 **Much love,**

 **-HN**


	25. Futility

Natsu had his fair share of pride, but he knew that to get what he wanted he would have to cast it away. In the past he would have been reluctant. But now he had no fear of begging. He'd get down on his knees if he had to. He'd kiss the very ground Zeref walked on if only it would convince his brother to fix Aquarius's broken key. Whatever Zeref wanted from him, he'd do it if it could save Lucy's life.

But with Zeref things were never that simple.

Everything Zeref did was to further his own goals, and his own goals mainly consisted of three things: making himself more powerful, furthering his influence of fear over Earthland, and leaving a trail of destruction and terror in his wake as he did so. Natsu often wondered where about in his brothers long life had he decided to devote his time to cutting short others, but the details of it all didn't matter much. What Natsu wanted did not coincide with what Zeref wanted, and so it was unlikely he'd get it.

Natsu could ask or he could demand, but either way he suspected the outcome. The futility of it all weighed heavy on his shoulders as he made his way to his brothers study.

"Enter." Zeref called when he knocked at the door.

Natsu entered the room, letting the old wooden doors fall shut behind him. His brother didn't bother to look up from his papers. It was a tactic, Natsu knew, to make people anxious. Nerves grew the more you waited. But Natsu did not let his brother's silence affect him. He stood close to the desk, glancing at the papers Zeref was rifling though. There were in a language Natsu couldn't decipher. One he had never gotten the chance to learn.

Draconian script.

"Ah, Natsu," Zeref chimed as if he hadn't known it had been him all along, ignoring Natsu's frown, "I trust you dealt with our deserters in Hargeon?"

"All of our former soldiers are either dead or too terrified to do anything but cry for their long dead mothers." Natsu confirmed, painting a hopeless picture that he knew his brother would enjoy.

" _Excellent._ " Zeref smiled widely as he leaned back in his chair, "Just the way I like my enemies to be."

It was a struggle for Natsu not to roll his eyes. Sometimes it was if Zeref took inspiration for himself straight out of children's books. Perhaps it was difficult to see his motives, but Natsu swore that sometimes Zeref was evil purely for the sake of it. Pain for pains sake. If it didn't cause someone harm, where was the fun in it?

"Fairy Tail had done most of the work by the time I got there," Natsu informed him, "My presence wasn't really needed."

"But it was appreciated, I'm sure." Zeref smiled.

It was impossible- there was no way he could have planned it- but from the way that Zeref looked at him, Natsu felt _sure_ that it hadn't been the turn-coats his brother had wanted him to see. He had wanted him to see Lucy. To remind him that everything he fought for would soon be cold and lifeless.

But… _no._ How could he know? Natsu had figured his brother was likely to deduce that Lucy was- his mind stuttered over the word- dying, but even if he suspected her light was failing her, how could he know the true extent of it? She still bore the mark of Fairy Tail; she was still protected from Zeref's prying eyes. There was no way he could have known just how much the darkness was effecting her.

And yet, Natsu had caught that smug glint in his brother's eyes…

"Speaking of Fairy Tail," Natsu forced himself to focus, "I've thought of a wedding gift you could provide."

"I told you Natsu, your wedding gift is being prepared." Zeref tutted.

The reminder of the ominous gift sent chills down Natsu's spine.

"It's not for me," Natsu explained, "It's for Lucy."

Zeref squinted at him, as though he were trying to deduce if Natsu were joking. Apparently deciding that he wasn't, Zeref sat up straight in his chair. His eyes scanned Natsu curiously, a slight quirk to the corner of his lips.

"Oh _is it now_?" He drawled, "And what, pray tell, does our dear Lucy want from me on her wedding day?"

"Lucy doesn't know what I'm asking. It's me that would be in your debt."

"You mean more than you already are?"

"I want you to fix the key of Aquarius." Natsu said bluntly, ignoring his brother's jab.

Zeref stared at him wide eyed. He seemed too shocked even to laugh, but Natsu could see the gears in his brother's mind turning. Plotting. Calculating what he could possibly gain from this.

"You assume much," He answered eventually, "To think that such a feet is within my power."

"You brought me back from the dead and infused the body of a child with demonic power," Natsu scoffed, "I assume someone capable of that can fix a broken key."

"The zodiac keys are not simple pieces of metal you need to unlock a door, Natsu." Zeref snapped, "They are gateways. Portals to another realm. To the heavens themselves. They aren't just forged at the local blacksmith."

"Good thing you're not a simple blacksmith then." Natsu sighed. He was not in the mood for his brothers theatrics.

Zeref rose from his chair, arms folded behind his back as he paced on the other side of the desk. He looked so deep in thought that Natsu wondered for a moment if he actually wasn't just being dramatic. He was hesitant to believe it. Zeref was a master of deception.

"Do you have any idea how much power went into making the zodiac keys Natsu? The legends of the Celestial Plains claimed the metal was more than just gold. That is was _bone_. The fingers of some long forgotten nameless god that used his own power to break apart his very being, using pieces of himself to form the universe. Just where do you think I would acquire such material?" He demanded, never giving Natsu the chance to reply before he returned to his mumblings.

"And the power- oh, _the power_ \- that it look to align the keys, these last remnants of a god, with the stars themselves. It was said that it was the god that gave life to the celestial spirits. That together they were created from the last remnants of his consciousness. In tribute to their master they each put their mark upon his bones, binding themselves and their power to the keys so that they may protect the life the nameless one made possible."

All these legends were new to Natsu. Before now he had known nothing of the keys creation, only what they were capable of. Igneel had taught him to always take legends and myths with a pinch of salt, but he had also taught him that there was always some truth in them. Knowing that part of such an awe-inspiring legend had to be true made Natsu question his own power. What could a demon do in the face of a God?

The legend also drove home just how much Lucy had to lose. What power it must take, to wield even shards of such incredible power. And she held not just one key, but nine. Somehow, she had _broken_ the tenth. He still didn't know how, but from the way she spoke of it Natsu was sure that he had done it herself. Against her will maybe, but she'd done it none the less. _A star is gone because of me,_ he remembered her saying. She'd shattered part of a _God,_ if the legends were to be believed.

And now the poisons of hell were swirling within her.

What was happening to her was tearing apart the very fibres of her being. She _needed_ all twelve keys. She needed Aquarius's key so that the stars could reach inside of her and take away what should have never been created. What should have never existed in the same realm as she did.

"So what you're saying is," Natsu's breathing was harsh as the weight of his brothers words settled on his chest, "You can't fix it?"

Zeref paused in his pacing and stared at him, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Don't be ridiculous," He scoffed, "Of course I can. Fixing things is a lot easier than creating them."

Natsu couldn't speak. Couldn't form a thought.

"It's the natural state of things that there are opposites of everything." Zeref began smugly, sensing Natsu's state of shock, "Where there is heat, there's also cold. Where there is light, somewhere there must be darkness. As it happens, it is more often than not one prevails in the absence of the other. A nameless god brought about the keys, but he is gone now. And in his absence, _I_ prevail. Just like cold without any heat."

Natsu's jaw hung lose. Was Zeref really comparing himself… _to a god?_ The very being that crated the universe? He should have scoffed really. Of course Zeref would believe that. He wanted to bring about the end of the world, so to him it would make sense that he was the enemy-the opposite- of the one who created it.

"That's all well and good," Natsu tried in vain to brush of his brothers theatrics, "But it doesn't answer my question. You _can_ fix the key, but _will_ you?"

Zeref chuckled dryly before letting himself fall back into his chair. He took his time getting comfy, propping his feet up on the desk as Natsu's fists began to clench.

"Some say that if all twelve keys were to be broken, the weight of heaven would collapse and crush us all." Zeref stated casually as he pretended to pick dirt from his fingernails, "That sounds like a whale of a time to me. What business is it of mine to go about fixing broken keys? It is as you said. I'm not a blacksmith."

Natsu felt his fire burn in his blood. The rage consumed him. Without thinking, he gripped the desk in front of him and flung it aside. Zeref pushed himself back in time so as not to be caught by Natsu's now flaming fists. He stood, staring at Natsu with a devious gaze and not a trace of fear in his eyes for the demon that stood before him.

" _Fix the key!"_ Natsu demanded, "If you fix it they'll know- they'll _all_ know- the power that you're capable of. Fairy Tail will see that they don't stand a chance. They'll bow do your every whim. If you-"

He was cut off by Zeref's sharp laughter.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing Natsu." Zeref snarled, "You think you can persuade me by appealing to my pride? You think that I am gullible enough- _stupid_ enough- that I will re-forge the very thing that will save the life of my enemy? Did you think that I would really allow you to run off with a reconstructed shard of absolute power and preform the Purification ritual on your little _girlfriend_ so that she can do the same for you?"

Zeref's magic swirled around a clenched fist. He raised his hand, using his magic to lift the desk and staring straight at Natsu with a crazed anger as he brought his fist down and the desk with it. But shattering it against the ground wasn't enough. Zeref continued his assault on the wood, driving it into the marble floor and attacking it relentlessly with whips of darkness until it was nothing more than dust.

"HA! Don't make me laugh!" He screamed, "She deserves to _rot._ She thinks she can take you from _me?_ I _created_ you. You are the one thing that I have allowed to thrive in all my years of destruction. I command the darkness. I will rule over the ruin and see to it that I crown you king of hell! I'll put out her precious stars one by one until the only thing that lights this world is your endless fire. Will she love you then? I'd sooner resurrect the nameless one than I would allow her to breathe another second of life. All shall die Natsu, all shall fade but you and I. And if you can't see it, then so help me, I will _make_ you!"

The shout rang in Natsu's ears as Zeref released a blast of magic. Natsu dodged at the last moment, landing in the pile of dust. He paused for only a second, watching as Zeref's magic swirled around him. His brother clutched at his head, slamming his fists against his skull before letting out a piercing scream that reminded him eerily of Lucy. When his brother found his gaze again his eyes blazed with anger.

His brother stood between him and the door. Natsu knew he had to flee. He couldn't face another round of Zeref's torture, and that was providing he survived his initial rage. Zeref clearly had plans for Natsu that he wasn't following, but he hadn't abided by Zeref's rules for a long time.

Darkness blew a hole in the shelves beside him, launching Natsu into action. He turned his back on his brother and sent a fireball straight at the window. The glass exploded. Shards pierced his skin but he paid them no mind. Darkness churned in the room behind him as Natsu threw himself out of the shattered window.

He let himself fall for only a moment before he unfurled his wings and flew. His only destination was _away._ Once clear of the fortress, he looked back to find tentacles of black reaching out from the shattered window, fumbling blindly in the darkening sky for a monster they would never find.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello? You guys still there? There seems to be a drop in views/reviews lately so I'm just checking you're still there! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Zeref being an ass. Nothing I love more than writing just plain crazy. Oh and angst of course. And I actually didn't take too long to update this time, wooo. Let's hope it stays that way! As always, please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts on this chapter because I really love hearing them!**

 **Much love,**

 **-HN**


	26. Difficult Conversations

Natsu flew aimlessly through the night, his thoughts in a whirlwind. He'd never seen Zeref go to such extremes before. His brother's wrath had certainly grew in the recent months. He was close to breaking point, and Natsu wasn't sure who would survive if his brother eventually cracked.

By dawn his wings had led him unthinkingly towards Magnolia. Towards Lucy. He flew in idle circles, hesitant to go to her so soon. Her friends would still be watching over her. He suspected they would not take kindly to his visiting considering how Lucy's condition had… deteriorated.

He grit his teeth. He knew he wasn't worthy of their forgiveness, but he was so tired of feeling alone. If they asked, he would help them to defeat Zeref in any way that he could. He bore the mark of their alliance, even if they couldn't see it. Lucy had done much for both him and her cause, but in the end, she couldn't force her allies to trust a monster. To trust someone who had slaughtered so many of their own, and who was standing idle as another died by a blow he had inflicted tore at the soul of their most compassionate member.

They had to know. He had to show them that there was _no one_ who hated him for all that he had done more than himself.

Natsu took off, his onslaught of emotions churning through his blood and fuelling his every wingbeat. It still seemed strange to him that the guards barely stirred as he flew overhead, despite the fact he had been allowed to visit the palace freely since his proposal to Lucy. Since he had come to promise peace.

This time when he landed softly on the balcony there was no soft chime of a music box in the air, no smiling face to greet him. Instead the voices that he'd overheard before descending came to an abrupt halt. Loke and Gray stood at the foot of Lucy's bed. They seemed to have been deep in discussion, but both of them turned to cast scowls in his direction when he stepped forward.

"Don't you _dare_ take another step." Gray snarled at him.

The young Lord took a step forward but Loke stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder. Gray's eyes burned with anger as he fought to hold himself back.

"Don't," Loke advised him, "You know Lucy will be angry if you get blood on her carpet."

"The only blood that will be spilled is _his._ " Gray seethed, ignoring Loke's attempt at lightening the mood.

"Please," Natsu sighed in defeat, "I only want to see her. To make sure she's alright."

His eyes flitted to the bed behind Lucy's allies, but it was empty.

" _Alright_ ," Gray scoffed, shrugging off Loke's grip, "She's _dying_."

"You think I don't know that?" Natsu snapped.

An awful sound caught his attention before he could say more. He stepped forward to find the source as Gray and Loke turned their heads towards the sound. A door stood ajar on the far right wall. Through it, Natsu could see Lucy hunched over a toilet. Her knuckles were white where they clutched at the basin as she wretched violently. Juvia knelt beside her, rubbing soothing circles into her back. When Juvia pulled Lucy's hair back from her face as she whispered assurances in her ear, Natsu noticed the blood dripping from his fiancés chin.

"Lucy?" Natsu breathed.

She didn't hear him over the next bout of sickness that overtook her, but Juvia did. She looked up at him with sympathetic eyes before glancing to Loke. Her looked seemed to convey some silent message as Loke then turned to face both Gray and Natsu, his head bent as his eyes flicked between the two of them.

"Try not to fight," He said in a low voice, "It would only upset her."

With that, he turned and strode towards the door. Natsu made to follow but was stopped by a rough hand to the chest. Natsu paid Gray's scowl no mind as he stared at Lucy, drinking in all her pale sickly features before Loke entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Gray shoved him harshly. Natsu stumbled back out onto the balcony, but he heeded Loke's words. He would not fight. No matter how much Lord Fullbuster angered him.

"Please," Natsu began, holding up his hands in what he hoped would be a placating gesture before he remembered his claws, curling his fingers self-consciously. "I didn't come here to fight."

Gray scoffed.

"It doesn't matter what you came here to do," He scowled, " _Leave._ "

"Look, I know you don't want me here, but maybe we could talk-"

"Talk?" Gray laughed, "And say what? I don't care for your false promises of peace, and I have nothing to say to you."

"Nothing at all?" Natsu raised a curious eyebrow.

"What do you think this is, Demon Prince?" Gray's scowl deepened before his eyes widened and a sarcastic grin quirked at his lips, "Oh, I get it. Do you think this is the part where I set the guidelines for you loving her? What is it you want me to say? 'If you hurt her, I'll kill you'?"

"That's not-"

"Well it's too late for that!" Gray cut him off, eyes blazing and a vein throbbing in his neck as he hissed out the words through gritted teeth, "You've already hurt her! And I would have happily killed you long before that. I would have done it _years_ before you had your chance to worm your way under her skin."

"So why didn't you?" Natsu growled.

"What?"

"Why didn't you?!" Natsu shouted at him, Gray took a step back in surprise, "I've seen you on the battlefield many times. We have fought in the same war, in the same battles, and yet you have never faced me. There have been ample times for you to kill me, and yet I'm alive. Perhaps if you'd truly had the strength to kill me-"

"I have the strength." Gray seethed, "Though I haven't always. I curse myself for it. For all those days that I was weak and foolish. How many died because I failed to grow stronger? Too many to name, not that you would care to remember their names at all."

"You're right," Natsu ground out past the lump in his throat, "Their names meant nothing to me. I only cared about the blood. The glory."

Gray snarled at him, ice forming at his fingertips. He adopted a fighting stance as a sword grew in his hand, his eyes blazing red as his power churned with him. Natsu did not move.

"I remember their faces though." He continued almost to himself, "Their faces and their terror. I have killed so many and for what? They haunt me. Each and every one. Even the one's I didn't see directly. The one's that burned in fires I lit. Makarov's soldiers, Lucy's people… your father."

Gray's grip on his sword went white-knuckled. Natsu could see it as he began to tremble with emotion. In that moment, Gray looked so much like his father that Natsu almost felt like he was in the past again, watching as Silver was about to die.

"It was a long time ago," Natsu furrowed his brow as he recalled the memories, "Back when the Nine Demon Gates were alive. I was younger than them all, but more powerful. It was by their hand that Silver died, but it was me that gave the order."

"I have buried my grief," Gray snarled even as his voice shook with the emotion, he raised his sword so the tip pressed against Natsu's throat, "But my vengeance has yet to be put to rest. I killed one of the Nine Demon Gates myself, the very demon that carried out your orders. But I still hunger for more. I swore on my father's grave that I would kill END, and so I won't rest until I kill you."

"But that isn't END at the edge of your blade," A shaking voice called out from behind them. Gray didn't turn, but Natsu's eyes snapped to Lucy immediately. Her eyes were intent despite her frail body and the fragile way she trembled as she leaned heavily on the doorframe. "That's Natsu."

Natsu's chest ached at the sight of her. Loke and Juvia each took an arm as they helped her over to her bed. His eyes would have followed her if Gray hadn't moved. The young Lord dropped his sword and let the ice melt away.

"You want to talk about strength?" Gray addressed him in a low voice that Natsu knew the others would not be able to overhear, "I have the _power_ to kill you, but my _strength_ is greater. Strength is what I depend on every second that I stand here and let you live. Strength is what keeps me from locking Lucy away somewhere you will never find her, somewhere you can never hurt her. Strength is what allows me to stand by and let her be happy, no matter how twisted I think this all is. Strength… strength is what leaves my promises to the dead unfulfilled. I have more important promises to the living."

Gray stepped aside as he said this, a sign that he would let Natsu pass. Gray's eyes drifted to Juvia as he moved. Natsu watched him watching her, a newfound respect blooming within him.

"I know you mean Juvia." Natsu whispered to him, "And I know you hate me, but please believe me when I tell you that I love Lucy the same way. I'd do anything for her."

Gray chuckled humourlessly to himself.

"Lucy once told me that we all love in different ways, but that it affects us all the same." He glanced at Natsu suspiciously from the corner of his eyes, "I still find it hard to believe that a thing like you could be capable of love, but it doesn't matter. Its clear Lucy loves you, even if I can't understand how or why. Love makes us stronger. That's what she told me. I don't think she would have lasted this long without it."

"Love makes us stronger…" Natsu repeated to himself was he watched Juvia tuck Lucy into bed, "If that were true, she's loved by so many she should be immortal."

"Maybe she would have been, if you hadn't poisoned her."

Natsu flinched at his words, even as Lucy called softly to him. Loke disappeared in a shimmer of light, sensing his dismissal. Juvia hovered anxiously by the door as she waited for her husband. Gray seemed reluctant to leave, but after a moment of staring at Natsu in disgust, he turned away.

"Whatever time you get with her," He called over his shoulder, "It's more than you deserve."

Lucy called out in protest but Gray ignored her, slamming the door behind him. Natsu frowned sadly at the door as Lucy sighed. The sound drew his attention back to her. She looked exhausted, as though even the effort that it took to prop herself up on her elbows was too much for her.

It kept surprising him, how much his own heart could break. As soon as he was certain that the pieces of his heart couldn't shatter into smaller pieces, he would look at her- so fragile and yet so full of love- and he could _feel_ the cracks inside of him. In his heart and in his soul. He didn't blame Gray for not comprehending how he was capable of love. Only a monster could do this to a person.

Only a demon could do this to someone they claimed to love.

"Natsu?"

Her voice compelled him to move. It was so small and yet so hopeful. She reached out to him as he hesitantly stepped towards where she sat amid her silk sheets. Her wrists were shockingly thin, and the thin straps of her pale nightgown hung from bony shoulders.

"I'm here." His voice was hoarse as he laced their fingers together.

As he sat down on the edge of her bed he cupped her face with his free hand. She shifted forward, allowing him to rest his forehead against hers. He was content to stay like that for a moment, but Lucy used what little strength she had to push herself upwards and kiss him softly.

He could taste her blood that lingered on her lips.

"Lucy," Natsu sighed as he pulled away from her, "Rest. Please. You look tired."

"Not tired enough to say no to you." She smiled.

Natsu smiled too, knowing she was parroting his own words back to him. But still, he forced himself to pull away from her. She pouted up at him in complaint. He would have chuckled if not for the dark circles under her eyes. Instead he continued to smile at her softly as he gently pushed her back, urging her silently to make herself comfortable.

Lucy looped her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her. He complied, brushing her hair from her face as she stared lovingly up at him. He didn't deserve that look.

"I know what you're thinking," She whispered in the space between them, "What nonsense has Gray been telling you?"

"He actually isn't as dumb as he looks," Natsu admitted, "But mostly it wasn't something I didn't already know."

"What?" Lucy raised an amused eyebrow, "That I'm dying?"

"Don't say that," Natsu frowned, "There's still time."

"Ever the optimist." She sighed, running the backs of her fingers down his scaled cheeks.

Natsu lay down beside her, gazing at her sadly. This resignation was so unlike her. It was like she'd been drained of all the energy to be hopeful. The scar on her neck stood out against her skin; black and toxic, the tendrils of darkness raised slightly and turning the skin around it to a bruised purple. He brushed his fingers over it, but the darkness didn't move. He had no effect on it anymore.

"I promised that I would save you." His voice was small and broken.

"You've saved me Natsu." She blinked slowly, "More than you know."

"But-"

"Saving someone doesn't always end with them being alive and well." She rested her hand over his heart, "You should know that."

He covered her hand with his own as he pulled her closer. Lucy complied with his touch, snuggling against his chest as he secured his arm around her waist. She tucked her head beneath his chin, breaths tickling his bare chest when she spoke.

"Everyone has promised me so much," She whispered, "I only hope they don't become reckless in trying to keep them."

"They promise you because they love you Lucy. They care for you."

"I know," she sighed, "But it still makes me feel guilty. I have asked so much of people, I wouldn't blame them if it was too hard for them to keep. It's so selfish but… I couldn't bare it otherwise."

"What's selfish?" Natsu frowned.

Her nails dug into his chest slightly as she hesitated. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, silently telling her that it was alright. She didn't have to explain if she didn't want to. Lucy was the most selfless person he knew, whatever she was talking about, she was mostly likely just overthinking it. His Lucy could never do something truly selfish.

"I asked Loke…" She began, voice heavy with fatigue and grief, "I made him promise- that he wouldn't let me die the same way my mother did."

Natsu held her to him tighter as he felt her body tense in an attempt to fight her emotions. But he wasn't simply holding her to comfort her. He was comforting himself too. _He_ was the selfish one. He wanted to hold onto her and never let go.

"H-How did your mother die?" He asked hesitantly, his voice rough with the strain of his ever-present grief.

He knew that Zeref had been the one to kill Queen Layla, but his brother had never went into detail about how he had done it. All Natsu remembered of his brother's account of what had happened that night was his pale, blood spattered face and three simple words. 'It is done'.

"The same way I'm dying, but faster." Lucy released a shaky breath, "We found her body on the way out of the city. Aquarius wept over her body. She'd tried to save my mother but didn't make it in time. She saw it all. I forced her to tell me about it later. I'd never quite understood it until now though. Until I'd experienced it myself. Zeref had put the darkness inside of her and accelerated the process. My mother… she clawed at her veins to try and get it out, but in the end… it wasn't enough. The darkness didn't whisper to her, it screamed. She shattered her own skull against a pillar trying to get it to shut up."

Lucy was trembling. Her hands had moved to pull at her own hair as she cried openly. Her emotions were so raw and heart-breaking. He knew when he looked in her eyes that she still saw what had become of her mother. Saw it clear as day. The image was seared in her mind, and now it was no longer a harrowing past, but a glimpse into her future.

Natsu felt sick. He wanted to scream, to claw at his eyes, to burn something. He had committed countless crimes in his lifetime, but this punishment was too much. It wasn't fair. What had Lucy ever done to deserve this? She was kind and honest and good; she shouldn't have to pay for his sins.

Fate was too cruel.

With no one to take his anger out on other than himself, Natsu pried her hands away from scratching at herself. He held her wrists tight enough to bruise, desperate to keep her from hurting herself more than she was already aching inside. The slight pain seemed to bring her back to reality. She looked up at him with her wide brown eyes, her lower lip wobbling.

Surely there could be nothing left of his heart to break after this?

He let her cry as he did his best to comfort her. He ran his fingers through her hair and whispered old fairy tales to her as she sobbed. Eventually her breathing calmed, but he could still feel the steady drip of tears on his bare chest. She asked him to only tell the stories with a happy ending, and he told her those were the only ones he knew.

At some indistinct point she drifted into sleep. He stayed with her as his own tears came. All that they seemed to know now was pain, and she was only going to get worse. If he really loved her, he should do something. Make sure that the voices that whispered to her from the dark never got loud enough to scream. Make sure that she wouldn't be able to hear them.

He squeezed his eyes shut harshly to try quell his tears. It was no use. He thought of all the things she could have asked of her friends, promises he could only guess at. She'd accepted her death but she wasn't ready for it. She would never be ready for it. He didn't want her to be. Ever. He knew that they all had their day, but hers was coming too soon. He wished that he had saved all of his time instead of wasting it on misery and bloodshed. Bottle it all up and give it to her.

A flash of light shone behind his eyelids. Natsu opened his eyes to find Loke and Virgo standing at Lucy's bedside. Loke offered him a weak smile, but Virgo did not try to hide her sadness.

"You have to leave now." She informed him.

Natsu frowned as he wiped his tears away.

"What? Why?" He looked at them pleadingly, "Please, let me stay with her. If only for a little longer."

"Trust me Natsu," Loke said solemnly, "You wouldn't want to."

Natsu sat up slowly, untangling himself from Lucy and shifting so that he sat on the edge of the bed between Lucy and her stars. He kept his voice low so he wouldn't wake her.

"She told me about your promise," His breathing shook, "You're not going to-"

"Gods _no_ ," Loke flinched, "That promise- It's… a last resort. I don't want to do it, so I won't unless I have to."

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. He ignored Loke and Virgo's sympathetic gazes. If he looked at them too long it turned to pity, for him and for Lucy. He didn't want that for them.

"Then why can't I stay?"

Loke and Virgo shared an uneasy glance. Virgo fidgeted as they had their silent conversation. She was still wringing her fingers when she spoke.

"Princess gets nightmares." She finally answered, "She sleeps during the day now, for fear of waking others. And… fear of the dark."

"Her screams woke the entire palace that first night." Loke shook his head at the memory, he wasn't quite able to meet Natsu's gaze, "We've tried, but we cannot stop it. All we can do is tie her down. She'll hurt herself in her sleep if we don't. We learned that the hard way."

"I don't believe you." Natsu shook his head, fighting against the truth, "She would have told me. Lucy's never had a nightmare. Not once in all the nights I've spent with her."

Loke smiled sadly.

"That's because she's at peace when she's with you."

"Then let me _stay._ " Natsu begged.

"Princess would never allow it." Virgo's tone was harsh but not unkind, "And there is only so much you can do Natsu."

The spirits left no room for argument. Shoulders slumping in defeat, Natsu turned and placed a gentle kiss on Lucy's forehead. She whispered his name in her sleep, making it all the more harder for him to pull away. If it wasn't for Loke's firm but gentle hand on his shoulder, Natsu wasn't sure he would have managed it.

Loke guided him out to the balcony. Natsu wanted desperately to look over his shoulder, to see how Virgo was preparing for Lucy's nightmares, to memorise Lucy's face, tranquil in sleep. But he couldn't do it. He felt as though he'd been torn apart until there was nothing left but raw flesh and bone. He was harrowed and weak, and he didn't have the strength to turn.

Just another reason to hate himself.

"I have a favour to ask of you Natsu," Loke began once they were outside, "Because I know Lucy will never ask it of you herself."

Natsu had never quite understood Loke, but he respected him. He was completely loyal to Lucy, so much so that the spirit never seemed to doubt her. But even despite her, Loke seemed to show him kindness of his own accord. He never seemed to do it simply because of orders. He was one of very few who called him by his name, and not some demonic epithet.

"If the favour is to stay away from her, Lord Fullbuster already beat you to it." Natsu answered bitterly.

"Nonsense. My lady would gain only grief from your absence, and that is not something that she needs more of." Loke answered grimly, "No, what I ask is that you help her. Help her by helping Fairy Tail."

Natsu straightened his spine, his attention fixed firmly on Loke. Anything he could do for them, for her, he would do it without question. Redemption was out of his reach, but he would at least try to earn Fairy Tail's trust. For Lucy. For the lives he desperately hoped they would live when the war was finally over.

"Tell me what to do." Natsu ordered.

Loke grinned at him bravely and offered his hand. Natsu clasped his forearm, the beginnings of an oath. The spirits voice was direct and confident as he spoke.

"The final battle it close Natsu. Fairy Tail is ready. We will defeat Zeref, or we will die trying. I know you stand with us, even if the others don't quite believe it. But Zeref still does not stand alone. There is another that blocks our road to peace. One that we need you to defeat, against all odds."

The pieces clicked into place in Natsu's mind. Loke did not even have to name his target as Natsu nodded in acceptance. He'd never wanted to kill again, but war was not a time for mercy, and there was not a hit of remorse in his body for whom he had to kill.

The Dragon King.

"I'll do it." Natsu growled, "For Lucy. For Fairy Tail. For Igneel."

Fire churned inside of him, desperate to burn.

"I'll kill Acnologia."

* * *

 **A/N: Aaannd I took a month to update. I am so sorry. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter anyways! Only a few more left! As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review because you know I love to hear all your thoughts and feelings!**

 **Much Love,**

 **-HN**


	27. The Wedding Gift

One of the benefits of Natsu's demonic form was that it heightened his senses. He could see great distances. Hear things no normal human could hear. Detect scents that were otherwise unnoticeable to others. Which is why when he landed back at Zeref's fortress, it hit him like a punch.

The heavy smell of fear.

It made him curl his nose in disgust. It was almost strong enough to make him gag. He'd never felt it on this scale before, not even in the midst of battle. Which meant that of the hundreds of soldiers that dwelt within the grand fortress, each and every one of them were _terrified._

Thunder clapped through the grey skies above as a harsh gust of wind blew through the courtyard. Natsu shielded his eyes from the stirred up dirt with a clawed hand, the wind ringing in his ears. Once it settled, the sound of fast footfalls greeted his ears. When he lowered his hand a guard was running towards him. His face was pale, his armour flapping about as he ran, the metal too big for his young body.

"What now?" Natsu groaned as the young guard approached.

He wasn't in the mood for needless distractions. He had a murder to plan. Things to prepare for. The lingering scent of fear was beginning to give him a headache, and he wanted to act soon.

"M-Master END," The guard stammered, "Forgive us, but we were unsure of your return-"

"My return?" Natsu scowled, "Am I no longer welcome here?"

"N-No, Master! Not at all!" The guard was visibly shaking, unable to meet Natsu's eyes as he spoke, "It was just that… the circumstances with your brother-"

Natsu cut him off with a growl. He supposed he hadn't exactly left on the best of terms. Throwing himself out of a window wouldn't really leave the best impression on their troops, so it came as no surprise that they had been speculating amongst themselves. But still, mere speculation didn't warrant the amount of fear that was rolling off the guard in front of him in waves.

"Speak plainly." Natsu ordered, "What has Zeref done now?"

His brother wasn't above unleashing his anger on his subjects. His wrath often fell on those who were unlucky enough to cross his path when he was in a one of his moods. They'd lost many a solider over the centuries due to the fear of Zeref's insanity. Rumours often spread through far away camps, those under his command who had never met him.

In Natsu's opinion, the reality was always worse.

"Master I- He… I think it's better if you see for yourself."

Natsu frowned down at the guard who still couldn't meet his gaze. His shoulders were hunched and he kept his eyes trained on Natsu's dirty feet. It made Natsu sigh. He wasn't like his brother. He didn't unleash his rage on random innocents. Not anymore, at least. He hoped there would come a time when people didn't cower in fear at the sight of him.

He nodded to the guard to lead the way.

Despite not looking up, the guard received the silent command. He took a few steps back before finally turning on his heel and all but dragging himself off to the right. Towards the dungeons.

The route made Natsu anxious. The last time he'd came down here it hadn't been optional. He'd been dragged down the steps into the dark, where the long corridors seemed to meld themselves into an inescapable maze. The guards posted at the top of the stairs didn't look at him as he passed. He idly wondered if they'd been stationed here when he'd been locked away. If they had heard the echo of his screams.

He cast the thoughts aside as he followed the young solider down the dark stairway. His chest seemed to tighten the further down they went. He could already sense the smell of blood drifting up the stairs to greet them. The scent wasn't uncommon for the dungeons; they did torture people down here, after all. But with each step the smell became stronger and stronger. When they finally reached the bottom, he knew even the solider could smell it despite his dulled human senses from the way he curled his nose. For Natsu, it was almost overpowering.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, breathing in deeply through his mouth as he tried to grow accustomed to the smell. He glanced at the young solider. In the dim light of the few torches, the boy looked pale and sickly. He met Natsu's eyes briefly before coughing awkwardly into his fist. The action shifted into a gag. Natsu stepped back slightly, fearing the boy was about to vomit.

Thankfully, the boy simply hung his head and pointed with a shaking hand towards the end of the corridor. Natsu stared at him a moment. He was so young, and clearly so desperate to be free of the place. Whatever the boy had seen today, the horrors would take their toll. Natsu wondered how he had ended up here at such a young age. What drove a child to serve an unjust immortal?

Not wanting the boy to have to suffer through the smell any longer, Natsu looked to where he was pointing. The last cell on the right.

Acnologia's cell.

Natsu gestured to the boy in dismissal as he stepped slowly forward. The young guard didn't hesitate to flee up the steps. The sound of his own slightly ragged breathing filled his ears as Natsu pushed himself closer and closer to the cell. The room in which he'd been kept up until not that long ago was right next door, but Natsu had never known how close the Dragon King had been the whole time he himself was being tortured. The only blood he'd been able to smell while he'd been in there had been his own. It seemed Zeref had neglected Acnologia for a while. Perhaps now his brother had just remembered he was due a punishment.

Whatever Zeref had done to Acnologia, Natsu was not expecting to find the Dragon King in good shape. The smell of blood was too heavy, too thick. It was difficult for him to hold back his own gags as he reached a few paces away from the cell. He almost fell on his next step forward. He looked down to the floor under his feet. It looked black in the torch light, but he knew what it was.

The floor was slick with blood.

Natsu pushed his fears aside. Treading carefully, he stepped into the open doorway. Horror struck him like a lightning bolt. He'd seen the things that Zeref could do, the things he _had_ done, but _this_ … this was beyond Natsu's comprehension. Even as a demon, he could never have imagined the nightmare that awaited him in that cell.

Acnologia was, as Natsu had expected, chained in his human form. He was bound in the same position Natsu had been, resting on his knees with his wrists bound, forcing his arms to stretch out either side of him. His head hung loosely, his long silver hair hiding his face. Natsu couldn't make out any movement in his shoulders from laboured breaths.

His brother knelt in front of the Dragon King, right in the middle of the pool of blood. He'd cast off his shirt during his efforts, the pale skin of his back seemed almost translucent in the torch light, stretched tight over his bones. He didn't notice Natsu's approach at first. He was too occupied with whatever he was doing to Acnologia, his work obscured from Natsu's sight by Zeref's own body. Natsu's eyes flitted over the objects that lay in the blood beside Zeref's knees as sickening tearing noises filled his ears.

Knives, scalpels, saws and needles.

"W-What have you done?" Natsu whispered to himself.

The sound caught Zeref's attention. He turned, an eyebrow quirked in bored curiosity. Zeref smiled smugly at the sight of him. Whatever utensil he'd been holding clattered to the floor as he turned around to face Natsu.

Natsu could do nothing but stare. Zeref's hands were covered in blood. All the way up to his elbows. Zeref sighed slightly as he ran a bloodied hand through his hair, slicking his black locks back with the blood.

"Natsu," He smiled, "You're just in time!"

Natsu couldn't form the words to ask what he was just in time for. Zeref smiled brightly at Natsu's dumbfounded expression before rising to his feet. He stepped aside, gesturing proudly to the chained and bloody body behind him.

"I present to you, your wedding gift."

It took everything he had in him for Natsu not to be sick. Acnologia was dead. There was no doubt about it. There was no way he could possibly still be alive. Not after what Zeref had done to him. Perhaps Natsu should have been happy about it, but there was not a single cell in his body capable of joy when he stood face to face with Acnologia's mangled chest.

Zeref had torn the Dragon King open. Blood still dripped from the cavity in Acnologia's chest. His skin had been slashed open and torn apart, his ribs hacked away. Pieces of the bone littered the cell haphazardly, as though they'd been removed and simply thrown away. Zeref had hacked through him all the way to the centre. What remained of Acnologia's chest hung lose, baring his heart to the open air.

"I imagine the job would have been much easier if I'd had claws such as yours," Zeref observed idly, not caring as blood smudged on his face when he scratched his cheek, "But it doesn't really matter. Half the fun is in the work, after all."

His brother's voice jarred Natsu enough to finally turn away from the carnage in front of him. And vomit into the corridor.

Zeref tutted.

"Come now, Natsu. Is that anyway to behave when someone gives you a present? I hope you don't do this at your wedding reception."

"Acnologia's death," Natsu rasped, wiping the bile from his chin as he recovered enough to straighten, "That's my gift?"

"Ha, no." Zeref scoffed, "If I were to give his death as a present, I would have let you kill him yourself. I'm sure you would have enjoyed it after all that nonsense with Igneel. No, I couldn't just let you kill him. Then you would have destroyed the _real_ present."

Natsu was genuinely too afraid to ask. He could barely even think. But he knew from the excited look in his eyes that Zeref was waiting for him to ask. Natsu gripped the door of the cell tightly, swallowing his fear and the bile in his throat to dare and ask the question Zeref wanted him to.

"What's the _real_ present?" Natsu spat.

"Well brother, I am so glad you asked."

Zeref grinned, madness flashing in his eyes before he approached Acnologia's corpse once more. He curled the fingers of his right hand halfway, clenching them like Natsu did when he used his claws as the black of his magic pulsed around his hand. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that Natsu was watching. That he could see what he was about to do. Zeref chuckled dryly to himself.

Before plunging his hand into Acnologia's open chest.

Natsu didn't want to look but he couldn't tare his gaze away as Zeref's darkness encased fingers wrapped around Acnologia's motionless heart and _pulled._ The thick arteries snapped with a sickening sound. Blood spattered onto Zeref's face but he didn't flinch as his magic cut off any tissue that fought to hold onto the heart, to keep it inside the body. It was over within seconds. In the time it took for the thunder to clap in the sky miles above them, Acnologia's heart was removed from his cold chest.

Zeref stood, smiling proudly, and presented the bloody heart to Natsu with an outstretched hand.

" _This_ is the real present."

Natsu made no attempt to hide his disgust. The sound of tearing flesh still echoed in his mind. His lips curled in a snarl as he looked between Zeref's warped expression and the heart, still dripping blood.

"How thoughtful of you." He snarled.

"Natsu," Zeref pouted, "Surely you're not angry that I didn't allow you to kill the Dragon King yourself?"

"I didn't image you would _ever_ let me kill him." Natsu admitted, "But I also never imagined that you would kill Acnologia yourself."

"I'll admit, it wasn't in my original plan. But plans change. One of you had to be punished for your betrayal, and I'd rather it be him than my own brother. It was simply luck that I found rewards to reap from his… passing."

Ah, yes. Zeref still thought that Acnologia had known about his visiting Lucy. That he had conspired with the Dragon King. Natsu thought Zeref had to be pretty stupid to believe that Natsu would have _ever_ had truly trusted Acnologia after what he'd done to Igneel, but it seemed Zeref's paranoia had won out against reason.

"And what rewards are those?" Natsu asked after a moment's silence.

"Fairy Tail despise you, yes?" Zeref began, still holding out the heart between them, "They are allowing you to take one of theirs, but I doubt that when the time comes they will be as willing as they seem now. This will let you have her, no matter what they say. No matter what they do. With _this-_ " Zeref raised the heart closer to Natsu's face, "-You can destroy all those that oppose you in masses. You will be more powerful than you have ever been. That is my gift. _Power_."

"And what am I meant to do with it?" Natsu clasped his brother's wrist to keep him from shoving the heart directly into his face, "Throw it at the enemy and hope they're squeamish?"

Zeref laughed.

"No brother." He purred, "You _eat_ it."

Natsu's grip tightened on Zeref's wrist, but his brother didn't flinch. Natsu's gaze lowered to the heart. Even the thought of touching it made his stomach curl. Part of him was surprised. He'd seen plenty of gore on the battlefield, he knew what a human heart looked like. Acnologia's looked just the same. It wasn't black, it wasn't filled with poison blood. It wasn't even a dragon's heart. It was as if Zeref could have torn it from anyone's chest.

"Doesn't it look appetising?" Zeref mused as Natsu continued to stare at it, "I remember when you enjoyed it. The hunt, the flesh, the blood. You'd bathe in it, eat your fill. It's been so long, doesn't it just make your mouth water? I can assure you it will taste better than a simple dear heart."

"You're _insane._ " Natsu growled, shoving Zeref's hand- and the heart- away from him.

"If you ingest his heart, you'll gain his power." Zeref ignored his statement, but it was clear by his tone of voice that it had angered him. "Power enough to win a war."

"Even if it works-"

"It. Will. Work." Zeref ground out, " _Eat it._ "

"And then what?!" Natsu screamed, "I become like him?"

"Perhaps," Zeref smirked at Natsu's outburst, "There's no telling what power it will give you, only that it _will_ give you power. Who knows; if you're so desperate to become a good and noble dragon like your so called 'true father' as you deem him, perhaps that's what it'll grant you."

"I don't want to be a dragon." Natsu confessed, "Igneel never wanted that for me, and so I never wanted it myself. There's a choice between power and humanity. And I chose humanity."

Zeref narrowed his eyes at him. And then he burst into laughter. Doubled over, clutching his stomach, laughter. Natsu felt his anger rising in his veins. As soon as Zeref's laughter started however, it stopped. His brother stared at Natsu was rage filled eyes.

"You have no _choice._ " Zeref spat, "I am giving you a gift Natsu. You will not deny it. You'd be a fool to refuse this. Eat the heart or lose the war. Lose the right to the one you love. Eat it, take her for your bride if that's what you really want- though honestly, I don't see the need-, and then _kill them all._ They will _never_ accept you Natsu. Not as I do."

But Lucy did. Lucy accepted him. Demon or human or monster that he was, she loved him. She stood by him. She didn't care what people said, what they thought about him. Lucy would always chose humanity over power. Compassion over cruelty. Love over war.

 _Eat the heart or lose the war._

If it could really grant him that much power… perhaps he could eat the heart and _win_ the war. Win it for the right side.

He held Zeref's gaze. His brother was powerful. Far more powerful than Natsu. He was simply a minor demon faced with the devil when he compared their power. He remembered the anxious face of the young guard. He could still smell the fear in the air, mixing with the thunder and the blood.

If Zeref was gone, there would be no one left.

 _Zeref's people? They fight for him out of fear. And our fears make traitors of us all._ Lucy's words rang in Natsu's mind. It seemed like so long ago she had spoken them, but they were still true. He hid it well, but his forces had been diminishing for a while. Even quicker since Lucy's reappearance. Hope for some brought despair for others. Zeref's people had chosen the wrong side, and they were finally realising it. Just as Natsu had.

Eat the heart. Kill Zeref. Win the war.

Natsu held out his hand for the heart.

"There's no shame in choosing power, Natsu." Zeref smiled as he deposited the heavy organ into Natsu's palm, chuckling at his own words, "It's only human."

Natsu raised the heart closer to his face. He'd grown accustomed to the stench of Acnologia's blood. Half of him didn't believe Zeref, that the heart wouldn't really give him power. The other half was wary. If Zeref was really telling the truth, what would it do to him? How would it change him? Zeref had turned him into something he wasn't once, he would have no qualms about doing it again.

He'd managed to find himself again, thanks to Lucy. But how many times could he be changed into something else before he lost himself forever? It was a risk. But in life, there wasn't many things that weren't a risk. It depended on if it was worth it.

Natsu bit into the heart.

He bit into it again and again. As the blood filled his mouth, he thought of her. He thought of Lucy. Zeref was grinning at him manically, fidgeting excitedly on his feet as Natsu wolfed the heart down. But his thoughts were only of her.

No matter what the heart did to him, no matter how it changed him, he would hold onto himself. He would hold onto his humanity. He would hold onto her. He felt it in his own still beating heart as he consumed the last of the dead one in his hand. He let the thought sing through his veins as something else rose within him. A pressure built in his head as he distantly heard Zeref's eager mutterings.

Natsu couldn't make out the words. He dropped to his knees. Something snapped inside of him. He felt the fire Igneel had gave him stir like it never had before. Like it was its own living thing. He could hear every heart of every soul within the fortress beating.

Natsu let out an almighty roar.

* * *

 **A/N: Ooo what is going to happen to our precious demon son? WHO KNOWS. (I do) Anyways, if all goes according to plan, there is ONE chapter of this story left, plus an epilogue! But y'know, as Zeref said, plans can change :p I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always I would love love love to hear what you think! Your reviews are what keeps me going, and I don't think this story would have come this far without you guys. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter done soon, but I've grown quite attached to this story and I'm sad to let it go. So I'll probably procrastinate due to that, and I apologise in advance! Until next time, please don't hesitate to leave a review!**

 **Much love,**

 **-HN**

 **PS. You can now also read this story in Czech! If you're interested, you can find the link on my tumblr (URL is the same as my user name here) on the page specifically for AWOTF!**


	28. The Price Of Victory

Ishgar's battleground was a stretch of barren earth that no army sought to claim. It was a dead place. Haunted. People came here to die, and few did so willingly. There was a legend that it had once been a rich land with barley stretching as far as the eye could see. When the wind caught the plants the field would ripple like a sea of gold. Until Mavis fell.

Trepidation flitted through Zeref's forces as they took their first steps on the long-dead earth, their master and his brother at their lead. Zeref himself had his features set in stone, not a flicker of emotion upon his face, but his red eyes scanned across the horizon as though he saw more than corrupted dirt and the shadows that the full moon cast on the ground.

His brother walked a few paces behind him. The Demon Prince looked to the horizon, eyes as red as his brothers, but if emotions passed his face the soldiers didn't see it. They didn't dare look at him for more than a moment. END had always been a monster, but now he was… _more._

He had returned to the fortress and delved into the dungeons to seek out his brother. Many of Zeref's troops had seen this- had watched him land, watched one of the youngest among them escort The Demon Prince to his brothers side. None of them daring to leave the shadows for fear of their master's madness. Etherious Natsu Dragneel had gone down into those dungeons, and he had not come out again.

The demon, the monster, the man- Whatever it was that now trailed obediently behind Zeref- it still contained remnants of what it had once been. The creature's hair was still pink, but it was wild and long, stretching down the creatures back. The thing that could once have been mistaken for a strange demon boy radiated power. It still possessed its scaled forearms and legs, its claws and its tail, but from the red scales spiralled black marks onto tan skin. They covered its chest and its face. Even stretched to the membranes of its wings so that when it took flight, horrors could be seen in the shadows of every beat. Its horns had grown longer and sharper, as had its talons.

Power coursed through him with every breath, but if one looked hard enough, they might see the shaking of its chest. As though the creature found it difficult to breathe.

No one lived to tell of that secretive tremble however. Its hunger for flesh had returned.

Zeref looked to this thing- his brother- with a manic smile tinged with greed. The creature didn't even spare him a glance as they marched with merely one hundred of their finest troops behind them. He had claimed they didn't any more, no matter Fairy Tail's numbers. This was not meant to be a battle, but an exchange. An exchange that would end in blood.

These soldiers would see blood today. But only one of them would draw it.

"Today's the day. Or rather, the night." Zeref chucked as he glanced up at the full moon, "Are you excited to see your bride Natsu?"

The creature growled and bared its teeth. They looked as savage as the noise that emanated from it as they caught the moonlight. The things clawed fingers twitched at its side. Zeref did not notice.

The elder brother breathed in the night air and gestured with a flick of his wrist for his army to halt. Zeref glanced at the ground before them as though there was a secret written in the dirt. His army watched in silence as he cocked is head.

"This is it." Zeref whispered so that only the creature, with its superior hearing, could make out the words, "This is where she fell."

Zeref pulled himself from his trance and looked to his brother. It stood still. Waiting. Its eyes fixed on the lights appearing on the horizon. Zeref followed its gaze and sighed to himself before turning to pace as he addressed his brother. The thing he had reshaped too many times.

"I never told you about her did I?" He asked the creature curiously, "Mavis. First of the Fairies."

He paused in his pacing to stare at the dirt at his feet.

"How I loved her so."

The creature did not answer him. Did not even give a sign that it had heard its brother's sentiment.

"Your dear Lucy is very much like her," Zeref continued, ignoring the twitch of the creatures head as he continued to pace, "Powerful. Kind. Foolish. Mavis died right here. In this very spot. In my arms. Much like your Lucy will."

The creature snarled. Zeref's gaze snapped to it in alarm, but his shoulders sagged slightly in relief when he realized its gaze was not focused on him. It still watched the horizon. It had snarled at the figures carrying torches, not his words. It was hungry for the enemy.

"Yes, there they are!" Zeref grinned, "Come for a wedding. Come to die. Fools, every one of them."

Zeref stepped closer to the creature. Where most feared it, Zeref did not cringe from his own brother, not matter how monstrous. The thing before him was his own creation. Nothing he created could ever turn on him.

"Do you want to know how Mavis died?" Zeref whispered to his brother, watching as the things nostrils flared and its blood red gaze finally slid to him, "She died because they would not let her love me. Only death has parted me from what I love, and now you _are_ death, and I shall lose no more. Will you let them take what's yours? As they took Mavis from me?"

The creature let out a mighty roar. Fire blazed around it like an inferno. Zeref's soldiers recoiled in fear as the heat licked at their armour, but there leader stood firm as his brother roared in his face.

Zeref bore his teeth in a feral grin.

"I thought not."

Zeref took his place beside his brother as their enemy made their way onto Ishgar's battlefield. As their torches grew closer Zeref and his forced could make out the faces of Fairy Tail's core members, each of them dressed for battle and an army following behind them.

Lord Fullbuster and his war paint. Titania Erza with her blood red hair and a sword at her side. Duchess Levy and her Iron Guard. The Dryer Prince and his silver haired wife. The tiny King at their centre. Each of them had eyes burning with a hardness only war could give. Their backs straight despite the burden on their soldiers. Burdens they would soon be rid of, along with the beating of their hearts.

Zeref recognised each one and remembered what each had cost him. What their ancestors had cost him. He sneered at the sight of them, but the creature by his side gave no sign he recognised their faces. His eyes cold and calculating.

They waited until the members of the Fairy Tail alliance stood before them, their armies a few paces behind. Zeref took pleasure in watching their eyes widen at the creature beside him. At watching the fear that sparked there. The silence on the battleground was thick. Not even the crickets stepped foot on this land. Zeref was the first to speak.

"King Makarov!" Zeref laughed, almost pleasant in his greeting, "I've heard great things about your father."

The King raised an aged brow.

"Is that so?" Makarov sounded bored, "It's nice to know there was time for Mavis to tell stories before you killed her."

Zeref's eyes lit up in rage.

"How dare you!" He seethed.

"Spare me the old tale, I've heard it may times." Makarov waved flippantly, "You killed her because she was like you but she could not bear it. It seems your inability to let go of the past has made you force your brother to repeat your own mistakes."

"Perhaps killing the one's you love is a life lesson in their family." Lord Fullbuster spat.

"Well," Zeref's gaze snapped to the young lord, "It certainly seems to be one they teach in yours. Tell me, did the meaning of the lesson hit you before or after you buried your mother?"

Lord Fullbuster took a step forward, teeth bared in a snarl, but was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder, planted there by his second in command, Cana Alberona. The young lord's eyes looked over the creature at Zeref's side as though he expected something. The creature did not return his gaze.

"As much as I enjoy these heart-warming chats," Zeref smiled, "I believe you have something for my brother."

Zeref chuckled lowly as King Makarov sighed. The King nodded to his daughter-in-law, who promptly disappeared into the army behind her. They waited.

"Natsu?" Lord Fullbuster asked hesitantly.

The creature did not reply. Its gaze darted to the army behind the dark haired boy before him as the ranks parted and a ghost stepped forward. No, not a ghost. The prize that they had come for.

"Oh, brother," Zeref sighed in mock dismay as he moved closer to the creature a laid a hand on its shoulder, "I think the honeymoon will last longer than she will."

Supported on either side by the wives of Lord Fullbuster and Prince Dryer, Princess Lucy Heartfilia stepped forward through the crowd. She more no armour, no war paint or weapons like her comrades. Instead she wore a long white dress that trailed in the dirt and hung loose off her shoulders. Her ceremonial crown sat atop her head, but her golden hair was limp as it framed the sunken features of her face. She might have been beautiful if not for the purple around her eyes and the way the moonlight made her skin seem as thin as paper.

She might have been beautiful, if not for the coiling veins of black that stretched from a scar at her neck and down her arm, reaching down to her blackened fingertips. The veins covered her chest, snaking closer to her heart in one direction and up her neck in the other. They were most prominent on her face, where they reached across her cheeks and around one of her shining brown eyes.

The creature knew death where he smelled it, and at the appearance of this girl, the air was ripe with it.

The Princess lifted her head as though it was an effort as she moved in line with her allies, gripping the hands of the woman either side of her tightly, her arms shaking with the effort. Her eyes flitted between the brothers.

One monster and one victim.

"Natsu?" Her voice was small.

"Release her," Zeref ordered, the glint of his eyes smug, "Let the lovers embrace."

She shrugged off the support of her allies, her friends, and took a wobbly step forward. With each step she took away from them, Fairy Tail looked more and more pained. After a few tentative steps, she tried to straighten herself, to carry herself to the enemy with dignity as she looked to the face of the creature for courage. But it only took two steps before she faltered.

Fairy Tail flinched as her knees hit the ground. Juvia of the Rain People moved to help her but was stopped by her husband who had moved to stand beside her. All of them seemed to be fighting hard to hold themselves back as the Princess knelt in the dirt. Tears gleamed in the moonlight.

The creature did not move to help her.

Lucy knelt in the dirt between two armies and fought hard to hold back the tears. The scream of rage she desperately wanted to release, infuriated by her own weakness. The creature- the shell of what was once hers- regarded her the same way a wolf looked down on a rabbit. There was no pity in his red eyes. Eyes that had once been green. No pity or anger or longing.

The creature didn't look at her the way Natsu had looked at her.

Zeref watched as her tears hit the dirt with barely contained laughter. Here was one of his most powerful enemies on her knees and dying. Broken at the sight of the very thing she claimed to love. Zeref glanced at his brother, mistaking the vein that bulged in the side of the creature's neck as a sign it was restraining its hunger. Zeref grinned smugly.

"What are you waiting for Natsu?" He asked with a chuckle, "Do help your dear fiancé up off the ground."

The creature followed its orders. It stepped towards Princess Lucy, each of its footsteps leaving singed earth in its wake. Both armies could feel the heat as Lucy watched the creatures approach from her knees. There was no fear in her eyes. Only sadness and pain.

"Natsu." She whispered as the creature stood before her. Her voice was small but it echoed across the silent battlefield.

The creature reached out with one scaled hand and hooked a claw under her chin, tilting her head up slowly. Tension coiled within Fairy Tail, each of them ready to spring into action should Lucy's love chose to turn on her. No blood sprouted from where the creature touched her as its red eyes met her gaze. Its touch was gentle.

"I don't care." Lucy's breathing hitched as she whispered the words up to him, "Whatever he's done to you, you're still Natsu. You will always be Natsu. He can never change that. He can't change your soul. Your soul belongs to you."

Zeref let out a bark of laughter at the same time the creature growled.

Lucy gasped. She was the only one who could see it. His face was framed by his wild mane of pink hair as he looked down at her, but Lucy could see. The flecks of green shifting in his red eyes.

" _No_." Natsu growled, "My soul belongs to _you_."

As fast as Lucy's hopes soared, Natsu turned and lashed out with all his newfound power at his brother. Zeref barely managed to dodge. His robes singed as he stared at Natsu in shock.

"It's not possible," Zeref gasped, "You're more beast than man. How could it-"

Natsu let out a mighty roar and charged at him again.

Zeref was right. He _was_ more beast than man. Just as Acnologia had been. Ever since he'd eaten the heart he'd been warring inside himself. Fighting and straining day by day to hold on to the last threads of his humanity. He hadn't been able to do more than growl for fear he would lose himself. That the power would consume him and hurt Lucy when the time came. But he'd refused. He wouldn't let it.

He let the power control him now. Directing all the hatred and fire within him right at his own brother, not even daring to _think_ about Lucy should his wild flames seek a new target.

Even with all his power Zeref was too stunned to focus at first. His soldiers abandoned him as Natsu roared. He stuck Zeref over and over until his brothers senses finally returned to him.

Zeref blocked his next punch, catching Natsu's scaled fist in his hand and sending a blast of his dark magic straight to Natsu's chest. Natsu flew backwards, landing in the dirt at Fairy Tail's feet.

With a manic scream, Zeref sent a wave of darkness towards Natsu. Towards Fairy Tail. Natsu growled as he pushed himself up, intending to shield Lucy's friends from the blow. But he was too slow. He braced for the impact of his brothers magic, moving his arms to shield his face, but the hit never landed.

Natsu looked up to see a wall of ice crumbling before him. He caught movement in the corner of his eye, and turned to his right to see Lord Fullbuster standing beside him. His grin was positively feral as he watched the wall his magic had built fall away to reveal the enemy before him.

"I guess you aren't as dumb as you look." He grinned without looking at Natsu.

Juvia moved forward to stand beside her husband, casting off her coat and shifting into a stance to prepare her magic.

"Now now Gray," She chided, "Can't you just apologise?"

"Maybe he will when this is all over." A voice called from behind them.

Natsu turned as the last of the ice crumbled to see Loke grinning at them. He held a frail looking Lucy in his arms, but she was safe. That was all that mattered.

"Enough chit chat." Titania Erza ordered as she took up position to Natsu's left, "Let's end this war."

"End the war?!" Zeref screamed as he took in the sight of his brother standing against him, Fairy Tail- _his enemies_ \- aligning themselves to fight with Natsu, "As long as I draw _breath_ there will be war. You shall have to end me first."

"Duh," Iron Guard Gajeel snickered as he and his Duchess stood beside Erza, "That's kind of the point."

Natsu laughed despite himself before letting out another roar and springing into action. The core members of the Fairy Tail alliance followed his lead. Natsu had no time to marvel at the miracle of them aiding him as he flung himself into the battle.

With his fire roaring around him he unleashed the power that Zeref has so foolishly given him. Now that he had recovered from his shock, Zeref was quick. Strong. Ready to fight. It didn't matter to him that he was outnumbered. Natsu could see the madness in his eyes. The fury. If his power wasn't blazing though him, Natsu might have been afraid. But his flames left no room for doubt.

He sent a fiery punch to Zeref's gut. Only the barest flicker of pain crossed his brother's features before Zeref hit him again with his magic. As Natsu went stumbling backwards, Erza used the opening to leap in and slash at Zeref with her shining katana as Juvia sent a wave crashing towards him from his other side.

Zeref threw up a wall of his magic to block Juvia's attack and didn't hesitate in turning to grab Erza's sword with his bare hand as it swung inches away from his face. Natsu could see his brother's black blood dripping from where he held the blade as he snarled at Erza and sent an arm of dark magic at her chest powerful enough to knock her back and straight into Levy. The two of them hit the ground and stayed there.

A roar left Gajeel a soon as Levy hit the ground. Natsu charged with him at Zeref, the two of them hitting him with a volley of attacks so intense even Zeref couldn't block them all. At cries from the other members of Fairy Tail, the two of them leapt back and others took their place. Fairy Tail moved as one, Natsu included.

Gray and Juvia attacked together, before switching out with Princess Mira and her siblings, the three Demon Borne swinging at Zeref with sharp claws and taking blows for one another without hesitation before they moved to make way for Prince Laxus and his Thunder Tribe, guards to the King. The four of them stood aside for Cana and Loke, before Erza joined the fray once more.

The only one who didn't attack was Makarov, whom Natsu saw with a risky glance away from the action was trying to stop a trembling Lucy from joining the fight herself.

Natsu spied an opening in the assault on his brother and beat his wings, launching himself into the air to strike Zeref from above as Gray charged at him from below. Zeref was still fighting, his immortal body taking the blows as though his skin were made of marble. But Natsu could see his heavy panting as he and Gray struck him and he struggled to block the blows. He was waning.

Zeref kicked Gray's feet out from under him and pivoted to meet Natsu's punch with a fist of his own. The earth shook as their power collided. Zeref clenched Natsu's fist in his own hard enough to shatter his bones but Natsu didn't relent. He grit his teeth and pushed his flames harder, stoked the heat higher.

" _You disgust me._ " Zeref spat at him as they pushed against one another, locked in a battle of wills, their faces inches apart, "You turn on your own for some empty promises and a condemned little girl. They won't spare _her,_ let alone you."

A shout Natsu recognised as Juvia's sounded to his left. Zeref didn't break his gaze as he gave a flick of his wrist and the shout was abruptly cut off. He heard Gray scream for his wife as Natsu grabbed Zeref's arm with his free hand and twisted it with a harsh snap.

Zeref cried out and they blew apart with a fresh wave of his magic. When Natsu scrambled to his feet his brother's arm hung limp at his side. Natsu had just enough time to raise his hands and send flame rushing towards his brother as Zeref raised his uninjured arm and sent a torrent of his magic straight to Natsu's heart.

Their magic collided. Flame and darkness. Natsu pushed his fire forward with all his strength, but Zeref pushed back just as hard.

"I can save her!" Zeref called over the swell of their magic, "I can bring her back, just as I did you. All you needed to do was ask and instead you betray me!"

"I would never make Lucy a monster!" Natsu screamed back at him as Zeref's magic gained more ground.

"Don't you see Natsu," Zeref laughed, his magic falling back again as Natsu used the last of his strength to push the flames towards him, "You already have."

Natsu screamed in denial of the truth as Zeref's magic pulsed. Natsu saw his brother's maddened grin through the flames the same moment that the dark torrent of magic disappeared.

With nothing to stop them, Natsu's flames blazed forward and struck Zeref full in the chest. The concentrated burst burned straight through the immortal wizards' clothes. His skin, his muscle, his bone.

The fire blazed right through his heart.

Natsu collapsed the same moment Zeref's body fell. His clawed hands scorched the earth where he braced against his fall. All the power he'd been caging inside of him, he'd unleashed with that final blow. Only the smallest flame was left in him, but he could feel it sparking back to life.

He feared that fire had burned away his humanity.

His ears still rang from the final blow of the battle. He didn't hear the slow steps towards him until a pair of dirty bare feet appeared in his vision, the white fabric that trailed behind them marred with dirt. His voice failed him as Lucy fell to her knees in front of him, her wide brown eyes full of exhausted relief as she took his face in her hands. The smell of burning flesh hit him the moment her palms touched his cheeks, but she didn't pull away.

That smell stirred something in him. He could feel his teeth _aching_ in his mouth as he swallowed. His claws dug into the dirt as he blinked harshly, trying to fight the _thing_ he'd been keeping pushed down inside of him since he'd eaten Acnologia's heart. But this time, with all his fire spent, it wouldn't go away.

Lucy looked distraught when he opened his eyes.

"No." She shook her head sharply, "No. _No._ I'm not letting this happen to you again. Yukino!"

He didn't know how she sensed it. How she knew he was changing. Perhaps his eyes were turning red again. His sagged a little when she let go of his cheeks as the girl from her homeland knelt beside her, something golden shining in her palms.

"Are you sure?" She asked Lucy, "Without all twelve-"

"I'm sure." Lucy cut her off, "Stand back."

Lucy took the golden keys from Yukino's hand and waited for Yukino to follow her orders. His mind was slow with exhaustion and numbness as the thing inside him grew stronger. It took him a moment to realise Yukino was crying.

"Lucy…" She sobbed, even as she paced slowly backwards.

Lucy smiled at her sadly.

" _Now_ you chose to give up on calling me 'Your Highness'," Her laugh turned into a sniffle, "It's a title you'll have to get used to."

Yukino pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle a sob. Natsu frowned as Lucy turned to face him, one of her burned hands clutching the keys to her chest while the other one cupped the nape of his neck. He didn't have the strength to question it as she leaned forward to kiss him.

He let himself drown in the feeling of it. Her lips dry but soft against his. Whatever monster was inside of him stirred to life. He kissed her harder as he pushed the thing back desperately. He wanted one last kiss before he left her life for good. He wouldn't let this thing hurt her more than he himself already had.

When Lucy pulled back she was crying.

"You're not a monster Natsu." She whispered in the space between them, "And I will always love you."

She pushed herself up onto her feet with a strength he hadn't known she possessed. She looked down at him with tears streaming down her face. He needed to get up too. To get on his feet and fly away. But he was too transfixed by her tears. Why was she crying over a monster?

He looked to the others scattered across the battlefield as if they had an answer. Zeref's forces had long since fled, and Fairy Tail's own had retreated. What remained was Lucy's allies, her friends. All of them watching her with tears in their eyes.

He saw Gray with Juvia lying in his lap as a small, blue haired girl saw to her injuries. The couple clung to each other as they watched Lucy stand. Gray's eyes met his and the young Lord held his wife tighter. Natsu's gaze drifted over Duchess Levy tucked under the arm of her Iron Guard, not able to bare the sight. Erza stood by the King. All of them bruised from battle and all of them crying.

Why were they all crying?

Finally, Natsu's gaze returned to Lucy. Her eyes was strong as her slim arm, white skin marred with black veins, reached out and spread the keys before her like a deck of cards. They hung in the air before him for a moment before moving, following the guidance of Lucy's graceful movements as the eleven gold keys formed a circle in the air. They froze as they rotated. One, two, three… the twelfth was missing.

He glimpsed her sad, beautiful features through the broken circle as a tear slid down his cheek. He knew what she was going to do.

"Don't-"

A blinding stroke of divine light hit him. Eleven points of bright, pure light shot at him from the keys. The twelfth coming from Lucy herself. He screamed as it enveloped him, sunk into him, _became_ him. He could feel it as it scorched away the darkness. As the demonic parts of him faded to ashes and dust.

His scales fell to the dirt as the light continued to burn into him, the red armour falling piece by piece to reveal flesh. Tan skin still pink in its newness. His tail writhed as it was seared away, and his horns crumbled into his hair.

As the light attacked his wings he saw Lucy. She was illuminating the night sky with her power, but the darkness inside her grew. He watched, helpless, as the black veins inched closer to her heart. He reached for her desperately as the membrane of his wings burned away. As the bones that jutted out of his back broke apart and crumbled, leaving only tanned skin in their wake, he watched as the veins that had surrounded her eye finally reached her and covered the shining brown he loved so much with a harrowing, endless black.

The light disappeared as quickly as it had come. Lucy fell. Natsu fought against the protests of his whole body to dart forward and catch her. He held her with human hands.

"What did you do Lucy?" He sobbed as he ran his hand gently down her black-veined cheek, "What did you do what did you do what did you do?"

She blinked slowly, a tear falling from her still brown eye. Her breathing was laboured as she covered the hand he pressed against her cheek with her own.

"What I've been… wanting to… do for a-a while." She rasped.

Natsu wailed softly as he watched the black nails on her hand that held his lengthen and curl. Turning into claws. He pressed his forehead to hers. His tears dripping onto her cheeks.

"This is all wrong." He wept, "This can't be happening no no no I promised I'd save you I _promised-_ "

"F-forgive." Her chest heaved as she struggled to release the words, "Forgive yourself."

" _How?!_ " He demanded in a pained yell.

He could hear the sobs of the people around them. He didn't care if he didn't look like a monster anymore. _This_ was what monsters did. They took away the things that people loved and left only sorrow and darkness in their wake.

"Natsu." The voice was soft. But not Lucy's, "You have to let her go."

Natsu looked up to see Loke standing above him, the spirit framed by the stars in the fading blues of the night sky above him. The spirit looked sad, but his will was strong in his eyes. He was determined. Natsu held Lucy tighter.

"Natsu," Loke knelt before him, reaching out to brush the air from Lucy's damp forehead as she lay dying between them, "Let her go."

"I can't-"

"Please Natsu," Virgo insisted, appearing beside Loke, "She'll die if you don't."

"What?"

He didn't understand. She was dying already.

"Trust them Natsu." A firm hand settled on his shoulder. Natsu turned and looked up to find Gray staring down at him, tear tracks marked into his war paint, "They know what they're doing."

He felt Lucy's weight lessen on his lap as Loke gently fitted his hands under her. Natsu reached for her, his fingers trailing through her long golden hair as Loke pulled her away from him. He tried to stand, to follow Loke to wherever he was taking her, but Gray's hand on his shoulder kept him planted to the floor.

Lucy shook slightly in Loke's arms as tremors look her. The same tremors Natsu had witnessed the first time she'd turned him human. But this time his change was permanent, and he had no way to ease her pain. Her arms and her head hung limp as Loke paused, casting Natsu one last regretful look before he looked up to the stars.

Natsu didn't follow his gaze. He watched as the spirit began to glow and a soft light seemed to envelop Lucy. His eyes never left her even as the stars seemed to fall from the sky and wrap around the Princess of the Celestial Plains and her loyal spirit until the bright white light was too much to bare.

He felt the heat of it on his skin before a cool breeze blew though his hair. When he looked up, Lucy and Loke were gone.

"Where-?" Natsu croaked.

"Same place Loke comes from." Gray answered as he tugged Natsu to his feet, "The stars."

"The light is everlasting there." Juvia explained as she limped towards them. Gray let go of Natsu immediately to rush to her aid, "It shines bright enough to keep the darkness at bay."

"So she's still-still…?" He didn't dare to say the word.

"Alive." King Makarov supplied as the members of Fairy Tail crowded around him, "She will be as the stars are. Shining and eternal."

Natsu looked up to the sky. The stars were difficult to make out due to the encroaching dawn, but they still continued to shine despite how the world turned. He wanted to fly towards them- the longing he felt almost choking him- but he was without wings. Without all that he knew.

"And very far away." He added quietly to Makarov's statement.

Titania Erza swatted him over the head.

"Would you rather she be dead?"

The circle of Lucy's friends chuckled slightly at his started look. But Natsu didn't feel like laughing. Even Erza, though she'd tried for good humour, still had tears in her eyes. He got the feeling that they'd known what she'd planned to do. And if not, then they'd suspected. It didn't matter. Her dying- no, _leaving_ \- hurt them all the same.

He craned his neck to look at the stars again.

"I feel so lost without her." He confessed.

The hole she'd left in his heart still felt raw and bleeding.

There was a moment of silence as his words hit home. They'd achieved a great victory this day but at a great price. Natsu wasn't sure peace was worth it if Lucy wasn't there to see it.

"Lucy made you one of us for a reason." Mira smiled at him softly.

Fairy Tail all nodded approvingly. Natsu glanced at his shoulder. Sure enough, his red Fairy Tail emblem stood out against his skin. Still bright even after so long hidden under the darkness of his scales.

"You should do as Lucy said." Makarov advised, "Forgive yourself. No one expects you to do it immediately Natsu, but no matter our past interactions, none of us want to see you suffer. Zeref is dead. The war is over. You are free, as Lucy wanted you to be. If you can't forgive yourself just yet, then use the life she's given you to redeem yourself until you do."

He took in the sight of all the people that had once been his enemies nodding in agreement. Lucy had given him so much more than life. She had given him love. She had given him a family.

"You may be lost without her," Gray met his gaze, "But you don't have to be alone."

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it folks! The war has ended, the battle has been won. This is the final chapter. But FEAR NOT. There is one final part to tell.**

 **Please let me know you thoughts and feelings about everything! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks so much!**

 **THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE.**

 **-HN**


	29. Epilogue: Unwritten Adventures

Epilogue: Unwritten Adventures

 _Five years later_

Time was a funny thing. The way it stretched things, the way it slowed. How all that was and ever would be bowed and changed according to its whims. Time gave and it took away. But more than anything, time changed. Natsu felt he knew that better than most.

Still, he couldn't believe he was here. In a palace he'd once burned to the ground, as a guest and not a prisoner. Music and laughter swelled around him as he took in the sight of the gleaming white walls, the magnificent arches of the ballroom and the colours the stained glass windows sent dancing across the floor from the light of the moon. Only a year ago this space has been nothing but ash. And now The Celestial Plains were thriving once more.

If he dwelled on his memories too long, the walls around him would begin to burn and the smiling faces of his friends would warp into looks of pure terror as flames- _his_ flames- inches closer and closer. But it wasn't real. That would never happen again. He wasn't The Demon Prince anymore. He was Natsu Dragneel, of Fairy Tail. He had helped to rebuild this place.

A slight tug on his cloak drew his attention, pulling him from his thoughts. He smiled when he looked down to see a little girl staring up at him. She had her mother's eyes, deep and blue and beautiful, but her long raven hair was definitely a gift from her father.

"Uncle Natsu, why do you look so sad? Did Papa beat you in a fight again?"

Natsu snorted as he knelt to speak to the little girl, tugging at her hair playfully.

"Your Papa hasn't beat me in a fight. Not now and now ever."

"That's not what Papa says." She pouted.

"Well your Papa is full of sh-"

"Mika!" A voice called through the crowd.

Both Natsu and Mika turned to see her father making his way towards them. Natsu stood as he approached, flashing Gray a bright grin. Gray shot him a curious look before turning his attention to his daughter.

"What have I told you about running off?" Gray chastised her. His voice was gentle though. Gray was a good father, though Natsu would never tell him that out loud.

"Sorry Papa." Mika apologised shyly before whispering dramatically to her father, "Uncle Natsu looked sad."

"Well I would be sad too if I looked as ugly as Uncle Natsu, wouldn't you?"

Natsu punched Gray in the arm, but Gray merely grinned at him as he narrowly avoided spilling his wine. Mika snickered at the two of them, no doubt thinking they were more childish than she was at times. Natsu ruffled her hair affectionately before suggesting she go find her mother. She skipped away after her father bent to kiss her cheek, telling her to pass it along to her mother.

Natsu smiled.

They watched her go, looking after her together in silence as across the room Juvia scooped up her daughter in her arms and laughed loudly as Mika mushed their faces together, passing on her father's kiss to her mother's cheek.

Natsu glanced away as Juvia looked their way. Despite the room full of people between them he knew that Gray only saw Juvia, and his daughter in her arms. They could convey so much in one look that Natsu felt as though watching their shared moments like that was an invasion of privacy, despite the fact they were surrounded by people. He remembered what is was like to look at someone like that. To be the one looked at like that. His chest ached at the memory.

Five years. He hadn't seen her in five years. Almost without thinking he glanced upwards. He could see the stars through the glass domes above. She was up there, somewhere. Beautiful and unreachable.

At first he hadn't known what to do with himself. He returned to Magnolia with Fairy Tail. He stayed with them. Got to know them. But all the while he felt as though there were a ghost in the room. He felt the gaps in time where her laughter should be. The moments where he would turn to face her and she wouldn't be there. He stayed in her room a few nights. Surrounding himself with her scent and her memory. Every morning he would wake up and reach for her and every morning she wouldn't be there.

He'd felt as though he should grieve. He _did_ grieve. Every time someone said her name he had to grip his teeth to keep from crying. Sometimes he would be sure he saw a flash of blonde hair down the corridor. Hear her calling to him in the night. His mind played so many cruel tricks on him, it was all he could do to look up to the night sky and tell her how much he missed her. How he ached with it. If only he still had his wings, perhaps he could fly to her. He'd never thought he'd wish to be a monster again, but he would sell his soul all over again if it meant he got to see her.

Eventually he began to feel guilty for grieving. She wasn't dead so he shouldn't mourn her. He could mourn what they had but that wasn't really dead either. He still loved her. Wherever she was she still loved him too. At least, he told himself she did. He hoped desperately that she did.

He'd begun to panic when he'd thought that. Six months after she left as he sat on the roof on Makarov's palace, hoping for a glimpse of the stars through the rain. What if she didn't even remember him? What if she was just a star, and nothing more?

Loke had appeared then. It was the first time Natsu had seen him since the end of the war.

"If she was just a star, then she'd be a star that burned for you." The spirit had told him. Natsu wasn't sure how he had known what he was thinking, but was too despatched by what Loke said next to ponder on it. "But none of us are just stars, and neither is she. She still loves you and she always will. She misses you, she wanted me to tell you that. She's happy. Even though she is without you, and she feels as though she left her heart with you on that battlefield, she's happy. She wants you to be to."

"Even if my heart is up there with her?" Natsu had asked him.

"Even then."

He didn't want to waste the life she'd given him, so he threw himself into Fairy Tail's plans to repair the damage the wear had reaped. He and Happy both. The various missions they went on helped to distract Natsu from the pain of his yearning. The grief- guilt- whatever it was that churned in his stomach, abated a bit, though it never left. Whenever he saw Loke, who often returned to their realm to assist Yukino, he asked after Lucy. Loke never gave him much detail, but still, it was better than not knowing.

And now here he was. In the Celestial Plains. He and Happy had spent most of the last year helping Yukino rebuild her and Lucy's homeland. She refused to ascend to the throne as Lucy wished until their lands were fulling revived. Where thriving once again. She'd seen every part of the rebuilt was a success. Gradually people had returned. All were welcome, even those that had never before had a home on these lands.

Her coronation had been two days ago.

Natsu admired her for all that she had achieved after the war. But what he admired her for most was that she kept the memory of Lucy alive. She mentioned her in every speech she made during the rebuild, toasted her family at every meal. Even during her coronation, she hadn't took Lucy's crown. She had her own, smaller and simpler. Natsu had never seen her wearing Lucy's keys either, or the armour. He hadn't seen those since the war, and often wondered where they were now.

"Natsu? Natsu?" Gray's voice pulled his gaze away from the stars, "Are you… okay?"

"What?" Natsu replied, blinking as though he'd awoken from a daze, "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

Gray rose an eyebrow at him in doubt.

"You were thinking about her." He stated, not phrasing it like a question because he knew it was true.

Natsu didn't answer. Instead he fixed his gaze on where Yukino stood from her throne and began descending the steps, the spirits of Pisces on either side of her as she called out in greeting to the various members of Fairy Tail that had come to celebrate the occasion.

"I wonder what Lucy thinks of all this." Gray continued, seeming to talk almost to himself, "She was always so sure The Celestial Plains would be revived someday. She never doubted it, not even for a second. I think she'd proud of this. Of Yukino. Of you."

It never surprised Natsu the fondness with which Gray spoke of Lucy. The way anyone who had known her spoke of her. Her memory always brought a smile to people's faces, and long thoughtful but comfortable silences between friends as they each wondered what she would say if she was there. Natsu knew very well he wasn't the only one who missed her.

"Careful, Ice For Brains," Natsu smirked, "That almost sounded like a compliment."

"I said she would be proud of you, not that she had good judgement." Gray smirked back. Natsu rolled his eyes as Gray's expression suddenly turned serious, "But she did. I know now that she did."

Natsu placed a hand on Gray's shoulder in thanks, not quite sure of what to say. Many things had changed after the war, but for all Natsu had changed, Gray had changed too. Sure they still bickered and fought with each other, but they'd gotten to know each other despite Gray's initial hatred of him. They had shared things with each other- things they'd done in the war that haunted their dreams and stemmed their biggest regrets- things Natsu knew he himself would never tell anyone else. Things he would have confided in Lucy. It took time of course, but they had forgiven each other. Gray had helped Natsu forgive himself. If he thought about it too long, he felt a slight twinge in his chest at the fact that Gray's daughter referred to him as 'Uncle'. He could never have guessed that would have happened in a million years.

Gray nodded in understanding before finally going to join his family. Natsu watched the Fullbuster family from the side of the room. They wore nothing to signify their status. They looked just like a regular family, with an overabundance of love and kind smiles. Natsu sighed wistfully as he watched them before his eyes drifted back to the stars.

He wasn't left to linger on his thought long however. Natsu pushed himself off the wall and gave a curious bow as Yukino approached him. When he looked up she seemed a bit flustered, as though she wasn't quite used to people doing that yet.

"Enjoying the party?" He smiled as she fumbled for words.

"I think I'm meant to ask you that." She chuckled, "Though that's not what I came to ask actually. I wanted to show you something."

Natsu regarded her curiously but followed without a word when she gestured for them to leave the ballroom. Both Pisces spirits disappeared from her side as they made their way to the palace gardens. They were lush and green despite the desert that spanned out around the city itself. At the centre of the gardens was a small tower, no higher than three stories. It was a simple building. Natsu had often passed it but he'd never been inside. It was off limits to anyone other than Yukino and her spirits.

Yukino placed her palm on the iron door of the tower and Natsu watched as it gently swung open. She gestured to him with a small smile to go first. Natsu peaked his head inside before fully entering. He could see nothing but a narrow staircase spiralling upwards. He looked back at Yukino but she only nodded at him encouragingly.

Moonlight shone down through the opening to the top floor as Natsu made his way up the stairs. His curiosity grew and grew with each step, and he idly wished he'd found Happy before coming here with Yukino so the two of them could marvel at the weirdness of it all.

At the stop of the stairs he stepped into a small, open room. It was without walls, and the only thing that seemed to protect its interior from the weather was the domed glass ceiling- similar to the skylights in the ballroom- held aloft by marble pillars.

In the centre of the room was Lucy's armour.

"What is-" Natsu turned to ask Yukino, but she wasn't there. She hadn't followed him up the stairs.

He heard the door close far below him as he turned back to the armour, a light breeze ruffling his hair. The armour was in a glass case, polished to shine but without the keys emended in it. The keys were still here though. Placed on their own pedestals around the room, like the numbers on a clock. Yukino's were missing, but they still had their own pedestals should they ever be reunited with their counterparts.

Natsu paced around the armour, his memories pushing images of Lucy dressed for battle to the front of his mind. He couldn't look at it for long without a lump forming in his throat. Instead he wandered over to one of the pedestals. The number twelve on a clock face. The key of Aquarius lay broken on a velvet pillow.

Natsu shut his eyes and tried to push back the flood of memories as the clouds cleared overhead, sending a bright cascade of moonlight into the room. Something about the skylight must have been different than the ones in the ballroom, because when Natsu opened his eyes he saw stars painted on the walls. Bright at first, but soon they faded as the moonlight was hidden by the clouds once more.

He sighed to himself as he continued to stare at the broken key. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch it.

"Aquarius will kill you if you get grubby fingerprints all over her key."

Natsu's heart stopped.

He couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. He stood, frozen, as his eyes blurred with tears. All because of that voice. It had been five painfully long years since he'd heard that voice. Five years of only the whisper of it in dreams and tender memories.

"Won't you look at me?" Lucy asked, her voice small and tinged with sadness.

But he couldn't. It'd happened before, seeing her when she wasn't there. Though not for a long time. He couldn't take it. He couldn't handle it if he turned around and she wasn't there. If she wasn't real. Not again.

A weight settled on his shoulder. Gentle and soothing. He inched his head to the side slightly. Risking a glace to find pale, slender fingers resting on his shoulder. Fingers he'd once twined with his own, when they'd still been clawed and ugly.

Slowly, ever so slowly, as though he was afraid he would startle her and she would run, he turned to face her. The weight of her hand on his shoulder felt so real- so _alive_ \- surely he couldn't be dreaming again? He was awake just a moment ago.

She was as beautiful as he remembered, illuminated by the muted light of the stars. Tears streamed down her face like liquid moonlight, but she was smiling pure and bright and real and _right there in front of him_. Her eyes, both of them brown unlike when she'd… she'd- he couldn't think of it. Not when she was here, with him, smiling and laughing slightly as he feels tears of his own stream down his face and _her eyes_ , they're so alight at seeing him he wondered if his heart would break.

Natsu surged forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Tight enough to hurt but she didn't seem to mind, she was clinging to him just the same. He could feel her breath on his neck. Feel her heart hammering where their chests pressed together. His breathing was ragged as he held her against him.

"Lucy." He whispered, shocking himself a little because he didn't say her name much. Not when it hurt so much. But now he felt only relief, "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy."

She laughed wetly into his shirt before pulling back slightly. He held her face gently in his hands, looking at her as though she was the first star in the sky. Though to him she was the only one that mattered. But she wasn't up there any more she was here and real and brushing tears from his cheeks and alive and _real_.

"You're here. You're here and bright and real." Natsu rambled, "How do I know you're real?"

Lucy smiled up at him a little sadly before pushing herself up on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his. She kissed him slowly, full of passion and love and sorrow. Repaying him for the ache of those five years he thought as he kissed her back with everything he had in him. It was a raw and tumultuous clash of lips but he treasured every moment of it. They continued like that until they were out of breath.

"How's that for real?" Lucy asked him as they stood with their foreheads pressed against each other.

"I can't believe you're back." He grinned down at her like an idiot, "I can't believe it, and I don't understand but I love you Lucy. I've loved you since you left and I loved you before that and I love you still and I always will."

"Natsu-"

"You're _back._ " He cut her off, unable to stop himself from rambling, his grin stretching wider across his face with each word, "So much has changed Lucy, I hope I haven't wasted what you gave me. I can't wait to show you it all. Gray has a daughter now! Can you believe it?! Her name is Mika, after Gray's mother, and she's so cute and she play's with Iron Breaths twins- That's Gajeel by the way, he's really annoying but his kids are great. Levy is their mother and she told me how close you were and they would love you- the twins I mean. They already love you and they're going to more and I love them, even though they're not mine, Mika too, and they all call me Uncle Natsu and they call you Auntie Lucy, you'll see you'll hear it- Look! Look out outside! Come see the city! I helped rebuilt it I-"

But he stopped. Grin vanishing. Because Lucy was shaking her head and pulling away from him with a pained expression on her face.

"I can't come outside Natsu." Her voice was small, "I can't leave this room. I'm only here for a short time. And only once. I can't stay."

He felt his heartbeat falter. Now he was shaking his head too.

"Without the light surrounding me I can feel it coming back. The darkness. It's buried deep but even now I can feel it rising." Her voice trembles, "I have half an hour at the most. Too many visits and it'll just get harder and harder to push back."

His tears began again. He wasn't sure if they ever stopped. Lucy stepped forward and took his face in her hands once more. He let her do it. Drank in every detail of her face as she swiped her thumbs across his cheeks.

"But it's alright." She smiled. Even though their time was going to be cut short again, she smiled. He loved her so much, "Don't worry. Stars see everything. I've seen the city. Tell Yukino I'm proud of her will you? And I watched when Mika was born. Loke was there and he told me all about it. He gave her a gift from me. Virgo did the same when the twins were born. All of them were born on clear nights and I was glad for it. I saw it the first time you held Mika, and I delight in watching you play with them all. I'm so happy you have a family Natsu. I've never felt joy quite like it. I only wish we could have had our own. That I could have… before I-"

Her words were cut off with a sob. Natsu held her close to him again. Letting his fingers run through her hair and memorising the way her body fit against his. He wished they could have had that too. But they couldn't change the past.

"Is this all you came here for?" He tried to make his voice light, "To cry all over my good shirt."

Lucy laughed. He bit his lip at the sound, trying to keep from tearing up again. He let it echo through the room before he spoke again.

"You really saw all those things?"

He felt her nod against him.

"Every one." She pulled back a little with a grin, "Someone's got to keep an eye on you."

Natsu laughed. He saw a light spark behind her eyes at the sound and he knew she was taking great care to drink in the details of it all just as he was. He didn't think he could take saying goodbye again.

"Take me with you."

The words left him of their own accord, but he didn't regret saying them. Not even when Lucy's lip began to tremble.

"Please tell me that's what you came for." He smiled sheepishly.

Lucy took a moment to collect herself. When she looked at him again her features were set in calm determination. Natsu used to call that her 'queen face'.

"I'll take you with me, if that's what you want, but not until you do something for me first."

Natsu felt hope tickle at his very soul.

"Anything."

Lucy took his hands in hers.

" _Live your life_." She pleaded with him, "There is so much of this world, and once you leave it you can't come back. Explore it. For me. Take Happy with you, don't go alone. Have countless adventures. Fill your life with stories, then tell me them all when I see you again. When you're finally ready."

"You're asking me to live a life without you." Natsu pointed out.

"You _have_ been living your life without me." Lucy laughed gently, "I know that you love me Natsu, but I'm not the air that you need to breathe. And don't tell me that I am because I know you're not poetic enough to think of that."

He smiled despite himself.

"It's because I love you that I want this for you. I want you to have the adventures you dreamed of as a child. I don't want to be the one to take those adventures from you."

His smile fell.

"But I took your chance away from you."

Lucy shook her head. Her fingers rubbed soothing circles over the tops of his own but he still felt the guilt inside of him. It was usually buried deep, like Lucy's darkness. But it was never long before it come out to play.

"You didn't take anything away from me Natsu. You gave and gave and gave." She stepped closer, resting her hands on his shoulders, "Loving you is an adventure that's never going to end. You just need to have some of your own first."

He wanted so desperately to just go with her. To return to the stars with her. But he knew she wouldn't let him and, truthfully, he knew that she was right. He couldn't give up on the world just because she wasn't in it. That's not the way she wanted him to live. It would be wasting what she gave up for him.

He stared at her for a long while until, finally, he nodded.

"You promise?" She looked so serious. It made him smile.

He rested his forehead against hers.

"I promise." He huffed out a laugh, "I'll have so many stories for you, you won't know what to do with them all."

Lucy laughed too.

"Sounds perfect."

She kissed him softly and Natsu let himself sink into it. Let it fill him to his very bones. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against him for as long as he could. They broke apart from the kiss and simply held each other for a long moment, letting the seconds tick by until Lucy's departure.

Eventually she started to fade. A soft glow filled the room and moment by moment she felt less solid under his hands. It took all his strength not to clutch onto her desperately when she pulled away from him. He thought there would be tears again, but he was surprised to find that neither of them were crying this time.

"We'll be waiting." Lucy's voice drifted to him over the breeze, along with other sound as she faded away. Something else, something far away. Something that Natsu was almost sure was a mighty roar. Perhaps even a dragon's roar.

He did shed a tear at that. It may have only been the wind but it was enough to spark a hope within him. It wasn't until he went to wipe the tear away that he noticed the white scaled fabric that hung lose around his neck where Lucy's arms had been twined around him a moment ago.

Natsu laughed happily up at the stars.

"You are _so_ weird."

He turned to see Happy fly into the room. The blue cat didn't say a word about the tears, or about the scarf, but Natsu had a life time to tell him.

Natsu would make sure he and Happy had only the best adventures. Adventures he would write to Gray and Gajeel and Erza about. Adventures they would tell their children about, and all of them would marvel at the trinkets Uncle Natsu brought home for them every now and then. He would tell them stories so that he could practice the telling of them and become the best story teller there ever was.

And then, once his head and his heart were filled with the wildest of his adventures, he would find Lucy again and they would start a new one. Together.

* * *

 **A/N:** **So there. It's done. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little worried people will hate me for the ending. But the endings are always my favourite part of stories, and they don't always work out how you'll expect. I wanted to take this moment, regardless of your thoughts on the ending, to thank you. Every single one of you. I don't know if I'll write more fics but every comment I've received, every like and every follow and every favourite, has meant so much to me. I want to publish a book one day. I have no idea what it would be about but I know that without all the feedback I've received I wouldn't even be daring to think about trying. So thank you to every one so much. I'm aware that AWOTF isn't the perfect story, but I can't say it hasn't been successful when one person (though there is more than one) has enjoyed it. I'll probably look back on it in a few years and hate it. I'll notice all the errors and be like 'god TAKE IT DOWN'. But I finished it and it's here, and at the moment I'm proud of it, even though it might not be something that reflects what I like to write about very much, though I'm still figuring out what to write about.**

 **So if you're reading this thank you, and if you're not reading it because you exited straight out the tab once the story ended, I thank you as well. Because of this I know I can finish something. Because of this I can tell myself there's at least one thing I haven't failed at (That makes it sound like a fail at a lot of things, but I guess most people do). So yeah, It's over. And I'm a little sad that it's over but I guess when something ends something new starts. I think that's what I wanted the ending to be like.**

 **And of course, as usual, don't be afraid to let me know what you think!**

 **Much Love,**

 **-HN**


End file.
